


Carry Me Home

by virdanfalls



Series: Trouble Will Find Me [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Awkwardness, Drinking, Drunkenness, Eventual Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Geoloy/Paleontology Prof Tsukishima, I have a lot of hcs about this au I'll leave a link, It also starts at a wedding whoops, M/M, Modern Lit Prof Kuroo, Mutual Pining, Professor AU, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Social Anxiety, Swearing, everyone is a professor or a coach for the university, nonbinary minor character, they all work together, trans minor character, very little time spent talking about class or lectures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2018-12-14 13:54:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11784549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/virdanfalls/pseuds/virdanfalls
Summary: The professor AU that no one asked for.  Everyone works in different departments at Karasuno University (fictional university in Japan)Tsukishima is forced into attending a wedding for his coworkers.  In an attempt to loosen up, he finds himself at the bar taking full advantage of the free drinks.Kuroo notices the cute science professor with glasses at the bar, drinking a little too much to be considered healthy.  Being the kind person that he is, he tries to help him out.*On Hiatus*





	1. Slow Show

**Author's Note:**

> Find information about characters (age, subject/profession, gender/sexuality headcanons) [here](https://kurootsukis.tumblr.com/profau)
> 
> This AU is set in Karasuno University, in a semi-urban setting in Japan. I don't have a lot of information about how Japanese University works, so I'm using a lot of my experience as an American college student as guide. I'm sorry if things are inaccurate, but unless it's really important to the story, I'm probably going to keep it as is. 
> 
> So the chapters are going to switch perspectives between Kuroo and Tsukishima. This chapter will be from Tsukishima's perspective, while the next one will be from Kuroo's perspective. It'll alternate like that. All of Tsukishima's chapters will be named after songs by The National, and feature lyrics from that song, and all of Kuroo's chapters will be named after songs by the xx, and feature lyrics from that song. Most of the reasoning for that is because I love The National and the xx, and both have enough relevant songs to make that arrangement work.
> 
> Side note, Tendou Satori is in this chapter. I headcanon them as genderfluid, and use they/them pronouns to refer to them.
> 
> This has been sitting in my head for a while! Hope you guys like it :)

_Standing at the punch table swallowing punch_  
_Can't pay attention to the sound of anyone_  
_A little more stupid, a little more scared_  
_Every minute more unprepared_

 _I made a mistake in my life today_  
_Everything I love gets lost in drawers_  
_I want to start over, I want to be winning_  
_Way out of sync from the beginning_  
     -Slow Show, The National

  
“Is that him?” A student turned to their friend beside them.

“What, the red haired person?”

“Yeah, they look plenty creepy..”

“No, it’s actually the guy in glasses next to them.”

“You mean, Tyrant is the blonde guy? He looks totally normal!”

Tsukishima stood at his podium, straightening his stack of syllabi as the excited chatter of freshman echoed throughout the lecture hall. His face quirked as Tendou continued yammering in his ear about their summer vacation. Tsukishima didn’t really care for their presence, and yet the professor continued to hound him before and after classes. They may both teach science, but that didn’t mean they had to be best friends. Tendou, however, obviously thought otherwise.

“And then I was like ‘Waka-chan, you can’t just swim for three hours in the Mediterranean’. I shouldn’t have said that though, because he tried to do it just to spite me. He was extremely sore the next morning -”

“Is this really relevant to what I’m doing right now?” Tsukishima cut in, disinterest dripping from his tone.

“Tsuki-chan, I was just telling you about where I was when I got the wedding invitation for our beloved coworker! I’m getting to my point.” Tsukishima cringed at the nickname, but decided against mentioning it. The more he disliked something, the more often it seemed Tendou tried to do it.

“Fine,” he sighed. “Just make it quick. I have to start this class sometime.”

“Okay well Wakatoshi and some of our high school friends were at dinner at this really fancy Italian restaurant when I got an email from Suga about his engagement. I was so stoked, Wakatoshi and I shared a bottle of white wine to celebrate.” Tendou smirked happily. Their expression turned quizzical as they continued, “You’re going to the wedding, right?”

An image of Suga grimacing at Tsukishima, handing him the invitation in question, flashed in his mind. Sugawara had actually tracked him down during a summer teaching seminar to invite him in person, so he “couldn’t use a lack of technological skill” as an excuse to skip out. Tsukishima shuddered at the thought of Sugawara reprimanding him for missing his big day. Though he intimidated him, the silver haired professor was also kind, observant, and very welcoming to Tsukishima when he had joined the college of science 4 years ago. Of his coworkers, Sugawara was one of the few he considered a friend.

“Of course I’m going.” Tsukishima replied simply, turning to face his students. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a class to teach.”

“Don’t be too hard on them, now!” Tendou snickered as they walked to the door of the lecture hall. “I hear strict teachers get annoying nicknames!”

Tsukishima gritted his teeth in annoyance, but began his lecture nonetheless. As much as he disliked the odd professor, Tendou was more often than not correct about those kinds of observations.

 

* * *

 

 

It was the day before the wedding, and Tsukishima was hopelessly trying to figure out what to wear. Nearly a dozen ties of assorted patterns and colors were splayed on his bed. His childhood friend, Yamaguchi, was laid out on the couch, comparing two ties of slightly differing shades of blue. A work acquaintance, Yachi, was in an armchair, comparing measurements for a potential new suit. Another person, Hinata Shoyo, was sprawled on the floor between Yachi and Yamaguchi. Tsukishima wasn’t really sure why he was there. He was Yachi’s excitable friend, and apparently he tagged along because the “Tsukishima Wardrobe Rescue” meeting had infringed upon his lunch plans with Yachi. Thus, Tsukishima was stuck with way more people in his apartment than he deemed normal. However, he had come to terms with the type of friend Yamaguchi was years ago - that is, the type to push his way into your apartment when you needed it and help you get your shit together. This intervention just happened to have additional helpers.

It all began several hours ago, when Yamaguchi asked him what he was wearing to the wedding. The revelation that Tsukishima’s only passable suit was two inches above his ankles led to Yamaguchi calling a friend from the School of Arts (though she was a professor of graphic design, apparently she had some elective experience with textiles and fashion) for help, and her friend tagging along.

“You know, for a professor, you have a really sorry selection of ties.” Yamaguchi mused as he lifted one tie slightly above the other. “I think this one is okay, but the edge has some loose threads.”

“I rarely wear ties.” Tsuki balked. “If you lean over things, they get caught easily. It’s even worse if you’re working with solutions. I lost my taste for them in grad school.”

Yamaguchi sighed. “Yeah, but I wish you had realized this a little earlier. The wedding is in less than 24 hours, and you don’t even have a passable suit.”

“Suits are unnecessarily fancy.” Tsukishima replied, turning to a pile of button up shirts on his coffee table. “I’ll just wear business casual, like I do to work everyday.”

“It said that it was formal attire on the invite. You know how Oikawa-san and Sugawara-san take things seriously like that. It’d be rude to show up and ruin their aesthetic.”

“It’s not like I’m their best man or anything.” Tsukishima retorted. However, he knew Yamaguchi was right. He was actually relieved because of the help. He didn’t want to show up to Suga’s wedding and disappoint him with his less-than-formal attire.

  
“Bingo!” Yachi exclaimed suddenly, clutching her phone. “Kaori-san said she can do a rush job for a suit jacket and pants, as long as you’re ok with a surcharge for time constraints.”

“I guess that’s what it’ll have to be.” Tsukishima sighed. “What about this shirt?” He turned to Yamaguchi, holding a black dress shirt.

“It’d look good with something like this!” Hinata chimed in almost immediately. He waved a black, red, and grey striped tie. As much as Tsukishima was annoyed at the little orange haired guy (he was clearly asking Tadashi) he had to agree with Hinata. That tie would look pretty cool with the shirt. He nodded and paired the tie with the shirt on the hanger, and walked it back to his closet.

When he returned, he heard Hinata ask Yachi what she was wearing to the wedding.

“Ah, well um, I was thinking...a light blue dress?” Yachi said sheepishly, blushing and rubbing her neck as soon as the conversation focused on her.

“Oooh, like the same color as that shirt you wore the other day? The one that Kiyoko-san complimented!” As Hinata exclaimed this, Yachi’s blush deepened to a bright crimson.

“W-well, she said it complemented my color palette very well…” Yachi trailed off, obviously flustered.

“Ah, so is this who you have a crush on?” Yamaguchi asked. Yachi nodded, a little embarrassed.

“You know, if you want to talk to her more, you should just go for it!” Hinata said in encouragement. “Kiyoko-san seems a little stiff, but I think once you talk to her consistently it’ll get easier. It was like that with Kenma when we first became friends! I had to almost chase him down, but once he got used to me, things were a lot more relaxed!”

“Yeah, something similar happened to me and Tsuki when we became friends as kids!” Yamaguchi added on, grinning at Tsukishima. He just glanced away, although he was happy that Yamaguchi had never left him alone in elementary school.

“Y-yeah!” Yachi said, her hand clenched in determination. “Maybe I’ll actually ask her for her number tomorrow!”

“Godspeed.” Hinata nodded at his friend. He then turned to Tsukishima and held up a particularly green tie. “Tsukishima-san, can I borrow this for the wedding?”

The tie in question was a graduation present from his brother, Akiteru. It was a grass green tie with a repeating pattern of small orange, red, and yellow brontosauruses - his treasured dinosaur tie, a tie that he only ever wore when he presented a particularly well-researched grant proposal.

“No.” Tsukishima snatched the tie and hurried to hide it in his room again.

“Bwahhh, you’re no fun!!” Hinata chided as he walked away.

 

* * *

 

 

  
Tsukishima hated crowds. He disliked chatter and constant socializing. Weddings entailed this at their receptions, he knew. He had meant to leave after the ceremony (which was beautiful- Yamaguchi had teared up when the grooms had kissed), but he was dragged to stay for the cake cutting, the first dance, and now the dancing and socializing of a full reception. Every time he had tried to leave so far, a coworker or friend had pulled him aside to chat. He supposed that was the downside of a wedding attended by most of his coworkers. It had only been two hours, and yet his nerves were frayed.

He ended his conversation with Tendou and Ushijima, who were recounting more of their vacation in Italy, and headed over to the bar. If he couldn’t steel his own nerves, he knew a few glasses of scotch would.

He glanced around the crowded room as he walked, and noticed Sugawara chatting happily with Daichi, Asahi, and Asahi’s husband, Yuu. They all looked infectiously happy, and Tsukishima couldn’t help but smile. He was glad that Sugawara was enjoying himself on his big day. He considered heading over to say hi, but decided against it. He wasn’t the best in groups, and his anxiety was only worsening at this point. Heading for the bar was the best decision.

Tsukishima looked to the bar and slowed at the sight of a man with particularly bad bed head chatting with two other familiar figures. That guy...I think he teaches literature?

Tsukishima angled for the other side of the bar to avoid him. He realized where he knew him from; at the monthly faculty meeting, that professor always asked three or four questions per meeting, making them much longer than necessary. Tsukishima found him vaguely irritating for this reason, and decided avoiding him was the best course of action. He disregarded the excitement he felt when their eyes met.

He ignored the mixed feelings rising in his gut when he sensed the professor’s eyes lingering on the back of his neck.

Tsukishima hadn’t dated or taken anyone home in a non-platonic way in a very long time. He realized his last relationship was sometime during grad school. Being at a wedding, he had assumed he’d feel a little sad about his lack of a partner. However, he mostly just felt uncomfortable.

“What do you want for tonight?” A bartender with two toned hair said, his ears pierced and his eyes exciting. Tsukishima felt similar mixed feelings as he sighed and asked for three shots of tequila. To loosen up, he’d need a lot more than just some whiskey over rocks.


	2. Loud Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo offers his assistance to a tense blonde professor trying to drink away his social anxiety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update! I'm moving into my new apartment tomorrow, so I wanted to make sure to post this in case I didn't have time.
> 
> Look forward to this chapter! The main couple actually interact and all that jazz
> 
> AU Character reference page can be found [here](https://kurootsukis.tumblr.com/profau)

_I go to loud places_  
_To search for someone_  
_To be quiet with_  
_Who will take me home_

\- Loud Places, the xx

 

“Suspenders.  Yes or no?”  Kuroo tilted his head at Kenma, who was playing Final Fantasy 4 on the other side of the room.  He had shown up to his best friend’s apartment unannounced, asking for help with his outfit for Oikawa’s wedding, which was in about two hours.

“No, definitely not.” Kenma replied curtly.  “The bowtie is enough.  If you pair it with suspenders, you’ll look ridiculous.”

“Sheesh, when did you learn how to dress?”  Kuroo muttered, tossing the black suspenders back down.  

“When you refused to stop asking me for clothing advice,”  Kenma remarked, his tone flat.

Kuroo smirked at his friend.  They had gone to college together, and only met on accident in the university library.  Kuroo used to work at the circulation desk, and he noticed Kenma frequented the library more often than most students, and decided to befriend him.  Since they studied such different disciplines - Kenma was a computer science professor, and Kuroo taught modern literature - Kuroo always thought they were an odd pair for friends.  Then again, Kenma seemed to make friends with odd people quite often.  

“Did you ask Chibi-chan to come with you as your date?”  Kuroo teased lightly, tying his dark blue bow tie as he spoke.

“No, he was already invited to the wedding.” Kenma stated.  “It would be a bit redundant to invite him twice.”

“But you could use this as a chance!” Kuroo continued cheekily.

“For what?” Kenma balked again.  “I’m probably gonna sit next to him at the ceremony anyways.  We both knew Sugawara before Oikawa.  What’s the point in overcomplicating things?”  He said this with a steady voice, all while clicking buttons rapidly in his rpg.  The current boss was an eldritch monster, which his party was handling well.

“Fine, but when you change your mind, I’m here for the gossip.”  Kuroo teased.  This statement caused Kenma to actually pause his game and turn around.  

“What if I told you we have been dating for a year?”  Kenma held a straight face, but Kuroo could tell he was messing with him.

“No way.  I know you can keep a secret, but Chibi-chan would’ve spilled by now.”  

Kenma turned back around, a small smile on his lips.  “If we end up together, cool.  I’m not much for gossip, Kuroo.  You know that.”

“Well, if you want to make the ceremony, you better start getting dressed.”

“One sec, I’m about to kill this boss.”

Kuroo sighed.  Even into their thirties, Kenma was the same as when they were freshmen.

 

* * *

 

Kuroo was seated between Bokuto and Akaashi during the ceremony.  Bokuto was the volleyball coach for the university’s team, while Akaashi was a literature and rhetoric professor, and both were good friends of his.  Kuroo had introduced them to each other a few weeks ago, when he had dragged Akaashi to the stadium to watch a volleyball game with him.  The two have been fairly friendly since, although Kuroo is still the common ground they’ve been able to find.  Kuroo, however, couldn’t help but feel like he was caught in some very gay interactions, as he noticed Akaashi flirting and Bokuto obliviously replying.  Maybe he was just feeling a bit starved of romance himself and imagining things.

The vows were adorable, in Kuroo’s humble opinion.  He hasn’t dated or even had a one night stand in a while, so his opinion was probably skewed toward romance.  He wondered if most of the single adults in their thirties felt like this at weddings - picturing what it would be like to get married sometime soon.  He shook his head in frustration, dispelling those thoughts.  That would come with the right person.  Daydreaming about it would only make him feel bad.

After the ceremony, Kuroo hung out with Bokuto and Akaashi over drinks.  Kuroo couldn’t help but feel like a third wheel, as they chatted about volleyball.  He had played the sport himself in high school, and recreationally in college, but he left the conversation between the two of him.  He’d already talked Bokuto’s ear off about volleyball on several occasions.

“ How long have you been playing volleyball?” Akaashi asked Bokuto, bringing a glass of wine to his mouth as he spoke.

“Ahh, for as long as I can remember!” Bokuto answered happily. “The kids in my neighborhood used to play at this park in the neighborhood.  There was an old net and everything.  The first time I spiked the ball successfully, and managed to get a point past unblocked… I just decided it was my favorite thing to do.”

“I’m glad you enjoy it so much,” Akaashi nodded. “I used to play volleyball in middle school, but I lost interest in high school. I decided to focus on my studies.”

“Oh, what position?” Bokuto perked up.  When Akaashi replied that he was a setter, Bokuto whined that he wished they had been on the same team.  He was sure Akaashi would’ve been really good at the sport.  Akaashi chuckled humbly and waved his hand lightly, saying that he was alright, but not particularly stellar.  

As the two chatted, Kuroo’s eyes skimmed the crowd,  He saw Kenma beside an exuberant orange-haired man, and smiled.  Kenma’s head turned slightly and he caught Kuroo’s gaze.  Kuroo gave him a smirk and a little thumbs up.  Kenma grimaced back at him, which made him chuckle.

“Kuroo-san, what’s up?” Akaashi asked him quizzically.  

“Ah nothing,” he smiled.  “I’m gonna get a beer or something.  Don’t wait up.”  He winked at the two of them, Akaashi looking flustered and Bokuto looking confused.  It was okay though.  He’d smooth it out with them later.  He just wanted to be on his own for a bit.

As he made his way to the bar he felt a pair of eyes staring at him.  He looked up to meet gazes with that cute geology professor that he only ever saw at staff meetings.  The blonde looked away almost immediately, but Kuroo couldn’t will his eyes away.  Something wistful in them lingered, as he found himself caught up in a positively disgusting romantic hope.  He squashed the horrid thought back down as he took a seat on the other side of the bar, and ordered a beer.

As he watched, the bespectacled professor ordered 3 shots of tequila and downed them in quick succession.   _Damn.  Is he okay?_

He was about to head over to him when he heard a lilting and joyous voice call his name.  He turned and  was met with a beaming Oikawa, who immediately asked him how things were going.

“It’s amazing.  You guys really shelled out some cash for this whole ordeal.”  Kuroo’s eyes took in the reception hall as he spoke.  It was superbly decorated, with a light blue and white color scheme.  He’d known that Sugawara had wanted a smaller sort of ceremony and reception, but he guessed that Oikawa was good at pushing for a little more.  Either way, it turned out alright.  

“Make sure you take advantage of the free drinks,” Oikawa smiled, with a devilish look in his eye.  “If you’re feeling lonely, you can try to take someone home tonight.”  Kuroo tensed up, knowing that Oikawa could read him like a book.  Did he really look that lonely?  “That blonde over there looked liked he was interested.” Oikawa continued, following Kuroo’s gaze.

“Yeah right,” Kuroo denied smoothly.  “I’ve tried talking to him after staff meetings before, he always writes me off.”

“Well, based on that pile of empty shot glasses, he might be more approachable tonight.” Oikawa remarked as he saw the blonde professor finish off a strawberry daiquiri.

“If I’m ordering him a drink, it’s going to be a water.”  Kuroo sighed and stood up. “Also, congrats pal.  I’m really glad you’re with someone who makes you happy.”

“Thanks,” Oikawa gave him a smile and Kuroo could’ve sworn it was genuine.  “Good luck with your endeavors.”  The cheeky wink and snicker that Oikawa gave him at the end of that sentence spoiled any goodwill he had previously felt.  It almost seemed like a bad omen.  Kuroo glanced warily over to the blonde professor at the bar.  His shoulders were tense, and he was hunched over an empty glass.  Though he seemed anxious, he still looked handsome, especially with his hair slightly ruffled as he was beginning to unwind.  His glasses balanced precariously on the bridge of his nose, and he tried to adjust them, but only succeeded in smearing his finger clumsily on them.  He was wiping them with a cloth when Kuroo began to approach him.  

Kuroo gripped his beer a little tighter as he made his way through the crowd.  In the glances he could catch of the other man, Kuroo noticed that he was wearing a suit that fit a little too well, outlining the broadness of his shoulders.  His undershirt was black, his waistcoat grey, and his tie lined with red, black, and grey stripes.  Kuroo realized he’d never seen this guy in a tie before, but _damn_ , did it suit him.  He noticed how pretty his face looked, glancing down in concentration to his glasses.  He realized he had also never seen him without his frames.  His face had a light blush on it, probably from the alcohol, that left Kuroo's heart pounding a little faster.  

_Why is he so attractive?_ Kuroo whined internally.

As Kuroo neared him, the man froze and turned to meet his gaze.  He looked confused for a second, before his expression hardened with irritation.  

“Annoying.” he muttered, placing his glasses back on his face and pocketing his cloth.

“Hey, the name’s Kuroo, in case you were wondering.”  Kuroo countered, unable to keep himself from smiling.  Although he was just called annoying, he could tell the man was putting up a front from the way his ears turned a few shades redder.

“Annoying Kuroo.” He corrected himself quickly and turned back to the bar.

“You seem to be drinking quite a bit -”

“What’s it to you?”

_Geez, this guy is not a happy drunk,_ Kuroo thought to himself.

“Look, seeing you drown yourself in alcohol is a little distressing.  How about I buy you something to eat, just so you don’t end up sick in an hour?”  Kuroo tried to say this as gently as possible, but the man still narrowed his eyes suspiciously.  

“Why would you want to help me?” the professor asked defensively, his eyes studying Kuroo.

“Excuse you,” Kuroo said in mock-offense, placing a hand melodramatically on his chest.  “I’m always this kind.”  

He scoffed and picked up a  dessert menu.  After a minute of perusing, Kuroo heard a very slurred and low answer that he couldn’t quite make out.

“Hm?” Kuroo purred, leaning in with a smirk.  “What was that?”

“I said, strawberry shortcake.” The professor repeated more clearly.  His eyes darted to the side.  “Thanks.”

Kuroo nodded and repeated the order to a nearby waitress.  After, he turned back to the extremely tipsy blonde.  “By the way, what’s your name?”

“You’re buying me cake and you don’t even know my name?” the man scoffed incredulously.

“I’m asking now, right?”

“Tsukishima Kei” he huffed, fidgeting slightly in his seat.  

“Tsukishima-san,” he said thoughtfully.  Noticing the man’s anxious movements, he pressed, “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t like crowds or loud places,” Tsukishima sighed.  He seemed to relax a little after speaking, but he still fidgeted with his hands nervously.  

“Not the best situation for you right now then, huh?” Kuroo chuckled.

“Yeah..” Tsukishima nodded, becoming slightly more friendly.

“So, you teach rock science?” Kuroo grinned as the professor immediately stiffened and began explaining that geology and paleontology cared about so much more than just _rocks_.

The crowd began to thin as Kuroo and Tsukishima chatted, the topics ranging from paleontology, to teaching methods, and settling on research.  Kuroo explained that he studied modern literature because it was interesting to see the literary tradition transformed into the modern era.  When Tsukishima began talking about dinosaurs, Kuroo realized he was really excited about it.  Thus, he pressed him for more on the topic.  Tsukishima was explaining that “Brontosaurus” meant “Thunder lizard” when Kuroo realized that the crowd had reduced to a few stragglers here and there.  

He glanced down at his watch and realized three hours had passed.   _Have we really been talking for that long?_

“Tsukishima-san,” he said after the blonde had finished his excited rambling about his favorite dinosaur. “It’s getting pretty late.  Do you want to take this somewhere else?”

Tsukishima immediately blushed and clutched his beer a little tighter.  “Just because I let you buy me cake doesn’t mean I’ll sleep with you.”  He deadpanned, the blush only deepening on his cheeks.  Kuroo almost spit out his drink.

“Jeez, do you think that’s why I’ve been talking to you?” Kuroo exclaimed in exasperation.

“Then why are you being so nice to me?” Tsukishima said bluntly, his language a little slurred.  All the while they were talking, he still nursed a few beers fairly consistently.  Meaning he was essentially still shitfaced.  Kuroo sighed.  He’d been hoping to talk when they were both a little more sober.

“I’m being nice because I think you’re cool and I like talking to you.” Kuroo turned away, slightly flustered.  “Anyway, you can crash at my place if you want.  I’ll call a taxi, since neither of us seem too fit for driving.”  He shyly glanced back at Tsukishima. “Sound good?”

“Fine.  One more beer to go, please.” Tsukishima asked the bartender, reaching out for it.

“Aw come on, don’t give yourself alcohol poisoning!” Kuroo chided, as the blonde grabbed the beer and started to walk out with him.  

“I’ll be careful, yeah yeah.” Tsukishima huffed.  “I’m usually a heavyweight when it comes to drinks.  If I want to feel drunk, I have to go all in.”

As they walked to the door, Kuroo could tell that Tsukishima was still pretty inebriated.  He swayed, his weight leaning into Kuroo every couple of steps.  The blonde started humming to himself as well, which Kuroo couldn’t help but think was adorable.  He clapped a hand over his face to hide the pink tinging his cheeks.

When they slid into the taxi together, Tsukishima immediately laid his head on Kuroo’s shoulder and closed his eyes.  The action felt so natural and intimate, the Kuroo swore he could feel himself ascending to some higher plane of existence.

He really hoped it wasn’t just the alcohol making the man more intimate, more friendly.  Kuroo sighed and watched the lights of other cars streak by in the darkness.  

Kuroo helped Tsukishima out of the car and paid the driver, thanking him for driving a little softer so as not to bother his drunk companion.

Tsukishima grabbed his hand as Kuroo led him to the elevator in his apartment complex.  

“I like it here.” Tsukishima muttered.  “It smells nice.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Kuroo chuckled.  “I’m assuming you’re not usually this chatty.”

“Sometimes I chat with people.” Tsukishima murmured as they stepped into the elevator.  He leaned his head on Kuroo’s shoulder again.  “Sorry, m’dizzy”

“Fair.” Kuroo smiled, gently rubbing Tsukishima’s back.

“Mm, thank you.” the blonde sunk deeper into his shoulder as the elevator closed and carried them up several floors.

“W-woah, hold on! Don’t fall asleep here,” Kuroo laughed. “C’mon, we’re at my floor.”  He tugged Tsukishima along by the hand.  He loved the feeling of holding hands with him.  His hands were surprisingly soft.  Kuroo smiled as they reached his door, and he fumbled for the key.  

As Kuroo opened the door, Tsukishima’s grip on his hand tightened.  “Something wrong?”  Kuroo asked, tilting his head.

“Bathroom.”  Tsukishima grumbled, his voice obviously strained.  “Quickly.”

Kuroo nodded deftly and lead him briskly to the bathroom.  Luckily, it was close to his front door.  He swung open the door, flicked on the light, and Tsukishima hurriedly crouched over the toilet.  

_I mean, I’m not surprised after all those shots of tequila.  But damn, I feel for the poor guy._ As Tsukishima was emptying his stomach, Kuroo rubbed his back lightly.  

He left Tsukishima after a moment and returned with a glass of cold water.  The blonde lifted his head when he was done. “Thanks,” he muttered, taking the glass. “Sorry.”

“No problem.”  Kuroo nodded genuinely.  “At least you’ll sober up sooner, right?”

“That’s the problem,” Tsukishima groaned, and Kuroo laughed.

“Dang, is talking to me really that awful?” he joked.

“Could be worse.” Tsukishima muttered, slowly standing up and sipping at the water.  “Can I eat something?”

“Sure.  You can go ahead and sit on the couch.  I’ll cook you some grilled cheese.  Sound okay?”

“Mhm” Tsukishima walked slowly and deliberately to the couch as Kuroo headed to the kitchen.  His kitchen was open, with a counter separating it from the living room area.  A TV sat on the entertainment area.  Tsukishima recognized a WiiU and a Playstation 4.  “You like video games?”

“My friend is really into them.  I mostly play on my PC, but having consoles to play with him is also fun.”  Kuroo explained truthfully.  “I also enjoy them myself, I guess.”

“Hm.” Tsukishima flopped onto his couch, his reply dismissive.

Kuroo brought the grilled cheese over roughly 10 minutes later, only to find Tsukishima almost completely asleep with his glasses still crookedly balanced on his nose.  He gently shook him awake. “Hey, c’mon, don’t leave me hanging.  You have to tell me my cooking is amazing, and to do that, you have to taste it first.”

“Mmm’fine” Tsukishima rolled over to face him and swiped a slice of the grilled cheese. He took a deft bite, opened his eyes and met Kuroo’s expectant stare.  “Absolutely disgusting.”

And yet, he took another bite.

“You’re just fucking with me.”  Kuroo replied, setting the plate on his coffee table and crossing his arms.  “I know my cooking is amazing.  A smile played on the corners of Tsukishima's mouth.  

“Maybe” Tsukishima grunted.  He sat up and leaned into Kuroo’s shoulder again, the grilled cheese forgotten on its plate.

“What’s up?” Kuroo asked, trying to ignore the incessant pounding of his heart.

“Tonight was fun.” Tsukishima mumbled. “But I’m not sleeping with you, Kuroo-san.”

“Jeez, I know,” Kuroo laughed, relaxing a bit.  “I wasn’t expecting anything-” He stopped in his tracks as Tsukishima brought his face closer to his own, lips inches from his own.

“We can kiss though, if you want.” Tsukishima's eyes flickered to his lips.  Kuroo’s face was bright red, his expression some mixture of anticipation, embarrassment, and uncertainty.

“As much as I’d love to take you up on that,” Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck nervously.   _And I really want to take you up on that._ “You’re still pretty drunk, and I don’t want you regretting anything when you wake up.”

Tsukishima leaned back, expression unchanged.  “Okay” he replied steadily.

“But once you’re sober, I would love to do that.  You know. The uh-”

“Kissing.” The blonde regarded him with a mixed expression.  His eyes were bright and serious.  Kuroo really hoped he remembered this conversation in the morning. “Okay.”

Kuroo got up and walked to his room.  He was extremely flustered, and needed some time to himself. “If you want to change, I can grab you some clothes..”

“That would be great.  This suit isn’t the most comfortable.”  

Kuroo let out a long sigh when he shut his door behind him.   _I really hope I didn’t just fuck this up._  He wasn’t sure what it was about this guy, but everything he did that was slightly romantic left him a blushing, emotional mess.  It may have been because he hadn’t dated in a while, or he might just really like the guy.  Either way, he was trying very hard not to get ahead of himself.   _We don’t even know each other that well, yet.  It just depends on how he acts in the morning._

He grabbed an a black band t-shirt (it had an album by the National as the art), and a pair sweats for Tsukishima, and some pajama pants and a tank top for himself.  After quickly changing into his pajamas, he returned to the living room.  Tsukishima was drowsy, but still up.  Kuroo got him another glass of water, and was leaving him to change when Tsukishima spoke.

“Kuroo-san.”  He said softly.  His tone tugged at Kuroo’s heart, causing a rush of warm and sickly emotions to flood into the pit of his stomach. “Thank you.”

“Y-yeah,”  He just rubbed the back of his head again.  “No problem!”  They stood in quiet for a moment, and Kuroo felt very self conscious under Tsukishima’s gaze.  “I’ll see you in the morning, then.  My door’s open if you need anything.”

“Okay.  Good night.”

“Good night”  Kuroo hurried to his room, switched off the light, and fell into his bed. _Please, please, don’t let this just be the alcohol.  Please don’t let me fuck this up._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this chapter! Let me know what you guys think. 
> 
> Kudos and comments are very much appreciated :)


	3. You Were A Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukishima drifted awake to the sound of eggs cooking in a nearby kitchen, the beckoning smell of a homemade breakfast, and the soft humming of a somewhat familiar and deep voice. He smiled into the pillow, as flashes of a black haired man grinning and laughing with him danced vaguely in his mind. _What a nice dream…_ he thought.
> 
>  
> 
> _Kuroo.._
> 
>  
> 
> Tsukishima’s eyes snapped open, as the few fragments of consciousness he remembered from last night completed a very unexpected picture in his mind.
> 
> He had gone home with Kuroo, the literature professor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is long. I have no regrets.
> 
> ALSO: A clarification. When professors are married in this AU (Oikawa Tooru /Sugawara Koushi, Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu), both professors keep their original last name. This is for clarity's sake, and also because it makes the most sense within the AU, as professors commonly keep their last names through marriage because they want to have the same name that they publish research under. Sorry I didn't mention this sooner, I just kept forgetting.

_It doesn't work that way_  
_Wanting not to want you won't make it so_  
_It doesn't work that way_  
_Don't leave me here alone_

 _I'll do what I can to be a confident wreck_  
_Can't feel this way forever I mean_  
_There wasn't anyway for anyone to settle in_  
_You made a slow disaster out of me_

\- You Were a Kindness, The National

 

Tsukishima drifted awake to the sound of eggs cooking in a nearby kitchen, the beckoning smell of a homemade breakfast, and the soft humming of a somewhat familiar and deep voice. He smiled into the pillow, as flashes of a black haired man grinning and laughing with him danced vaguely in his mind. _What a nice dream…_ he thought.

_Kuroo.._

Tsukishima’s eyes snapped open, as the few fragments of consciousness he remembered from last night completed a very unexpected picture in his mind.

He had gone home with Kuroo, the literature professor.

_Holy shit, I fucked up._

He sat up suddenly, and realized he wasn’t wearing his own clothes. He was in a band t-shirt, and sweats that were just a bit too short for his long legs.

“Tsukishima-san?” he heard a concerned voice to his side. His vision met with Kuroo’s worried eyes, and he felt a flood of emotions, ranging from guilt, hesitancy, and excitement. Kuroo was standing at the stove, visible over the counter which separated the living room and the kitchen. Tsukishima’s head was killing him, and thoughts swam through his sluggish mind as he desperately tried to remember the previous night.

If he had wanted to pursue Kuroo, it hadn’t been like this. The holes in his memory left him feeling sick. Him wearing unfamiliar clothes, in an unfamiliar apartment, with a near stranger making him breakfast all but confirmed the worst case scenario to him.

_Shit._

_We probably fucked._

_Shit. Fuck. Shit._

“I’m leaving.” Kei said in response, his voice tired and strained, but not betraying any of the intensely mixed emotions he was currently repressing.

“Are you sure?” Kuroo all but squeaked, disappointment noticeable in his tone. “You just woke up! And I wanted to hear your opinion on my breakfast special.”

Kei was unsure how to react to Kuroo’s friendliness. He decided the best way to handle this situation was to remove himself from it quickly. He got up, ignoring the lightheadedness and intense headache from his hangover, slipped on his shoes, and grabbed the pile of his clothes that he had somehow taken off last night. Kei swallowed nervously. _I really don’t want to think about how these were taken off._

“Very.” Tsukishima was now at the door. He tried to ignore the hurt blooming in Kuroo’s eyes. “I have to, uh, meet some friends. They’ll be worried if I don’t see them.” Kei didn’t know why he lied. It was probably because seeing Kuroo’s obvious sadness at his departure caused a similar sadness to pool in his stomach. He gritted his teeth. _It’s better this way._

“Okay!” Kuroo said, although Kei could sense his smile was strained. “Well, I’ll just see you around then?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Kuroo-san.” Tsukishima said dismissively as he hurriedly left, grateful to avoid anything that was as emotionally intense as that encounter.

It wasn’t until he reached the bottom floor of the apartment building and wandered onto the street that he realized he was completely lost. He pulled out his phone from his pants pocket and grimaced at its 5% charge. Too low to route himself home or call a taxi service. He sighed and dialed Yamaguchi’s number.

“I need you to come pick me up.” Tsukishima said quickly, as soon as Yamaguchi picked up.

“Tsuki! I was so worried-”

“Sorry to cut you off, but my phone is dying and I need to give you the address.” Tsukishima quickly relayed the name of the apartment complex he was standing outside of. “Thank you, please come soon.”

“Sure-” Yamaguchi’s voice cut off as the phone died.

 

* * *

 

“Tsukishimaaa, you look like shit!” Hinata’s voice boomed from the passenger seat in Yamaguchi’s car. Tsukishima glared daggers at Yamaguchi, who just sheepishly shrugged.

“Why.” was all Tsuki could manage.

“We were on our way to grab breakfast when you called. I couldn’t not bring him.”

“Fine.” Tsukishima muttered, as he climbed into the back seat.

“So this is Kuroo-san’s apartment complex, huh?” Yamaguchi mused, sounding impressed. “It looks fancy. Was his apartment nice?” Yamaguchi turned back to meet Tsukishima’s glare.

“How did you know I was at Kuroo’s?” Tsukishima grimaced, his teeth gritted and his face turning a slight shade of pink.

“You two were all over each other last night!” Hinata exclaimed. “I was with Kenma, and he kept glancing over at you guys! He thought it was kinda funny.”

“I don’t really remember a lot of last night.” Tsukishima admitted, trying not to let the embarrassment he felt leak into his voice.

“You ok, Tsuki?” Yamaguchi asked, genuinely concerned. All jokes aside, Yamaguchi knew how Tsukishima felt about one night stands. Before he could reply, his stomach groaned loudly.

“I think I’ll feel a bit better after breakfast.”

 

* * *

 

 

After a plate of eggs and a cup of coffee slightly oversweetened, Tsukishima’s head started to clear. He was still hungover, but at least he wasn’t completely exhausted.

“Why did you let me keep drinking?” he groaned to Yamaguchi. His freckled friend just grinned sheepishly.

“You looked like you were really enjoying yourself with Kuroo-san,” Yamaguchi said honestly. “I didn’t want to intrude or interrupt.”

Tsukishima just grumbled in annoyance.

“So what happened??” Hinata leaned on the table, curiousity dripping from his voice. “We fed you, now you have to spill!”

“Ugh,” Tsukishima lowered his head on the table, a new pulse of pain from his headache causing him to grimace. “I honestly don’t remember that much… He bought me cake. And we talked about dinosaurs I think? I felt sick in the elevator to his apartment… and I’m not sure after that.”

“What kind of sick did you feel?” Yamaguchi asked, a little concerned.

“Like the stomach kind, I guess.” Tsukishima muttered. “But I woke up in these clothes,” he looked down at the band t-shirt and sweats. _At least he has nice taste,_ he thought to himself when he saw the National album cover on the shirt. “I slept on his couch, and he was making me breakfast. I’ve been in that situation before, and I just-” he sighed deeply. “Feel bad.”

“I’m sorry Tsuki,” Yamaguchi said quietly. “If I see you drinking a lot again, I’ll be sure to step in.”

“N-no, it’s fine,” Tsukishima met Yamaguchi’s gaze evenly. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Wait!” Hinata jumped in, looking obviously lost in the conversation. “Am I missing something here? What’s going on?? What’s wrong?”

Yamaguchi turned to Tsukishima, asking him a silent question, and Tsukishima just blinked simply, as if to say ‘Yeah, I’ll tell him’.

“I’m not a big fan of hook-up culture or whatever,” Tsukishima began tersely, trying to phrase it as clearly as possible without embarrassing himself. “You know, people sleeping together just to sleep together? It makes me really uncomfortable just thinking about it...When I drink, I usually have to drink a lot to feel drunk. But sometimes I lose control of situations and can’t remember them and it just makes me feel really gross…”

Hinata blinked a few times really quickly as he processed Tsukishima's explanation.  Finally he chirped, “Hey, I totally get it!”

“You do?” Tsukishima raised his eyebrow.

“Yeah!! If you ask me, I don’t like sex at all really.” Hinata nodded, and Tsukishima realized he was being sincere. “Like, I love dating and being in a relationship, but I don’t really feel the need to have sex or whatever.”

“Yeah, I get that. I mean if I’m in a relationship with someone I really trust, I’m okay with it then.” Tsukishima elaborated, feeling more comfortable. “But I just really hate one night stands.”

“Okay, I get why you’re uncomfortable now!” Hinata said. “You know, I actually have some asexual friends - like Kenma, he’s a professor I talk to a lot, and Kageyama, who is a coach on the volleyball team with me -”

“And?” Tsukishima interrupted skeptically.

“Well if you need to talk to anyone about it, I’m here to listen I guess” Hinata rubbed the back of his head, his eyes averted shyly.

“Thanks,” Tsukishima said quietly. “And to clarify, I think I’m more demisexual than asexual.”

“Yeah, that makes sense!”

Tsukishima noticed Yamaguchi beaming on the other side of the table and glared at him. “What?”

“It’s just nice seeing you open up to other people sometimes.” Yamaguchi said, a wide smile gracing his freckled face. Tsukishima looked away, grunting in feigned annoyance. Yamaguchi’s tone changed as he continued, “But about this guy-”

“What about it?” Tsukishima said obstinately, trying to end the conversation before it started.

“Do you know for a fact that’s what happened?” Yamaguchi pressed, ignoring Tsukishima’s attempt to deflect. “Like you said you don’t remember, but it seemed like Kuroo-san did from the way you talked about it. He was making you breakfast and he wanted to see if you liked it, right? That seems like an attentive thing to do-”

“Nope, not happening.” Kei pushed back stubbornly, crossing his arms. “I’ve been in this situation before. It was too similar to not be the same.”

“Aren’t you judging a little quickly though? What if the guy is really just interested in dating you?”

“I have resigned myself to my fate of dying alone a long time ago.” Tsukishima said with a flat voice. He got up from the table and started walking away. “I’m going to the bathroom now. When I get back, you two better be talking about something else, because I’m done with this topic.”

As Tsukishima’s back receded towards the bathrooms, Hinata turned to Yamaguchi with his head cocked to the side. “Do you think he’s going to talk to him?”

“He’s definitely going to.” Yamaguchi nodded. “I’ve known him for a while, so I can tell when he’s interested in things and when he’s not. He likes to pretend he’s not into the things when they’re at the front of his mind.” Yamaguchi began to smile. “I think it’ll take about a week for him to talk to the guy. Maybe less.”

* * *

 

 

Avoiding Kuroo was getting more difficult as the week dragged on. It was four days since the wedding, and three days since the morning after, and Tsukishima was getting annoyed. He thought it was accidental at first, how Kuroo ran into him on his commute to work. They had happened to take the same train somehow. Kuroo tried to talk to him then, but Tsukishima gave him his signature cold shoulder treatment.

He then walked into him around lunchtime at the same day. He went to his favorite teacher’s lounge, in the biology department because they had the best coffee machine, when he found the professor chatting with Tendou. _This is going to be so annoying._

He swung around and left before saying anything, leaving Kuroo’s greetings at his back.

The next morning, Tsukishima took a different route to work. He was an extra five minutes late, but he felt that his solitude was worth it. As he walked towards his office, however, he wasn’t able to avoid his annoying acquaintance from the biology department.

“Tsuki-chan, I didn’t know you had it in you!!” Tendou chased him down the hallway, shouting his name too loudly. Tsukishima stiffened and glared at the oddball.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tsukishima turned away, his voice stiff and sharp.

“I saw it for myself at the wedding! You can really drink when you want to, huh?” Tendou caught up with him and fell into pace beside him. A mischievous smile graced their face as they continued. “So are you going to pursue that hot lit professor, or can I go for it?”

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes, his mouth tightening into a frown. He couldn’t tell if Tendou was serious or just messing with him, and the ambiguity left him anxious. He didn’t think too deeply about the worry in his gut.

“Do what you want. It’s not my business.” Tsukishima was surprised at how even he was able to keep his voice, despite the dread building in his chest.

“Are you sure? You seemed pretty interested a few days ago,” Tendou watched him closely, and Tsukishima tensed up even more so than he was before. He hated that feeling he got when Tendou looked at him like that; it felt like they were psychoanalyzing him.

Before he could reply though, he heard a familiar voice. “Tsuki! Tendou-san! How are you two?” Yamaguchi walked briskly up to them, breaking the tension. He was also a biology professor, and apparently was on his way to grab some coffee before his lecture.

“Fine,” Tsukishima said briskly. “I have some things to attend to before my lecture begins, so I’ll be going now.”

“Okay Tsuki, run away!” Tendou taunted him, half in jest and half in annoyance. “I’ll ask you again sometime soon, so have an answer for me then!”

Tsukishima just scoffed and quickened his pace. _I don’t even have an answer for myself._ He grimaced. 

When he got to his office, his grimaced deepened at the sight of a lone coffee cup with a little note attached to it on his desk.

_Tsukishima-san~_

_I know you don’t really want to hear from me right now, but I’d still like to talk about the other night if you’re up for it. I’ll stop bothering you in your department. When you’re ready to talk, if you want to talk, you can find me at this office at these times._

_Best,_  
_Kuroo-san_

A small note was attached with Kuroo’s schedule. Tsukishima’s face began to feel warm, as he lamented to himself. I _want to just forget about it, but you’re so damn nice._ He internally cursed Kuroo.

He lifted the coffee warily and sniffed it. It smelt sweet and warm. He sipped at it and tasted a tinge of cinnamon, along with sweet caramel. _He knows I like my coffee sweet? what the hell?_

 

* * *

 

 

“He’s grading more harshly than normal,” one student hissed to the other.

“I wonder if something’s bothering him?” the person beside them replied, their tone understanding.

“Nah, this is classic Tyrant Rex. He’s always a hardass on freshman.” A student behind them grumbled bitterly. “I would know. I failed this same class last semester.”

“Seriously?” Another student asked incredulously, sounding scared.

“Yeah, he’s merciless as usual.” The other student sighed. “You guys finish the reading for last night?”

“We had reading?”

“It was in the syllabus.”

As his students gossiped from their desks, the tall blonde professor walked quickly into the classroom. Tsukishima was nearly late for his lecture that morning, as he found himself lost in thought about things he couldn’t remember. He hurriedly strode to his podium, his arms filled with folders of graded work. He greeted his class, and promptly began passing back graded papers.

He was a strict grader because geology was an important profession. However, he wasn’t surprised to see the students knit their eyebrows together and frown at their grades. He sighed and took his place at the podium after the papers were returned.

“I feel like, somehow, his grading is getting more harsh.” One student groaned quietly to another as Tsukishima opened his powerpoint presentation and began his lecture.

 

* * *

 

 

  
Avoiding Kuroo was getting more difficult for Tsukishima, especially since he had started to actually miss running into him. Tsukishima found himself hoping he would see the man, while he was boarding his morning train or waiting in line at the university cafe. However, Kuroo was true to his word, and Tsukishima found himself lamenting his absence moreso than his presence.

It didn’t help that Tendou continuously asked about Tsukishima’s feelings towards Kuroo. It was grating on his nerves more than he liked to admit. He never gave Tendou a straight answer as to whether he cared either way. He couldn’t tell if they were asking because they were actually interested in Kuroo or because they knew it bothered him.

Either way, as the end of the week arrived, Tsukishima found himself nearing a breaking point. Something had to change or he was going to have an outburst, either at Tendou or himself. He hadn’t been this worked up over a coworker in a long time, and cursed himself for acting unprofessional.

When he arrived to work for the morning, Yamaguchi was waiting by his office with a cup of coffee.

“What’s up?” Tsukishima asked, surprised to find him there. Normally he held office hours for students during most Fridays...unless it was the last Friday of the month.  
_Shit._

“Ready for the staff meeting?” Yamaguchi smiled, while Tsukishima opened his mouth slowly, then closed it again.

“I actually just came down with the flu and am not able to make it.” He turned around quickly, trying to escape while Yamaguchi’s arms were full.

“Nope!” His freckled friend grabbed his wrist quickly, holding the two coffee cups with one arm. “C’mon, don’t make me drag you there.”

Tsukishima groaned and turned back around. “It was worth a try.” He grabbed the coffee that Yamaguchi had held out for him earlier and took a sip with a grumpy look on his face. He thought he had hated staff meetings before, but thinking about seeing one person he simultaneously missed and hoped to avoid was another matter entirely.

He and Yamaguchi arrived early, so he picked a seat in the back. Other professors milled around chatting. He noticed Yachi chatting with Yukie and Kaori. When Kiyoko, the psychology professor that she had a crush on, walked by with Daichi and Sugawara, Yukie leaned over and whispered something in Yachi’s ear that made her blush and slap her hand away.

Tsukishima sighed. He knew what that felt like. Even though his work environment was full of adults, they all approached romantic matters with the same maturity as middle schoolers. He wondered if he might have gotten the courage to approach Kuroo if all of his friends from work would’ve just left him alone about the matter.

Speaking of Kuroo, the professor arrived with his signature bed head and loose tie. He was followed by a quiet looking professor that Tsukishima had seen with Hinata. _I wonder how he knows Kuroo,_ Tsukishima mused before catching his own curiosity. Tsukishima met eyes with Kuroo, and he gave him a slight nod. Kuroo returned the gesture, and took a seat on the other side of the room, obviously keeping his distance.

The staff meeting commenced as the dean of the college, Takeda Ittetsu, began going over the previous meeting’s minutes. Tsukishima’s eyes kept drifting towards the corner of the room where Kuroo sat, leading to their eyes meeting on three separate occasions. Each time, Kei turned away quickly to avoid holding his gaze for too long, but even he admitted that this couldn’t go on for long. Avoidance was only worsening the problem.

Something Tsukishima noticed was that the meeting was going by more quickly than usual. The questions which usually caused it to drag on were absent. Each time Tsukishima managed to look at Kuroo without him noticing, he noticed that the black-haired professor was looking disinterested in the meeting, unlike those times in the past when he would be the most vocal.

They ended the meeting half an hour early. As Tsukishima got up, he met eyes with Kuroo again. _Fine. I’ll talk to him. Whatever._ He approached him slowly, and something in the bottom of his stomach twinged when he saw his eyes light up just slightly.

“Hey, uh,” Tsukishima began as he walked over. Kuroo waited for him to speak, eyes wide and curious. “Want to grab some coffee or something?”

Kuroo’s face broke into a small smile. “Yeah, I really would.”

“Okay.” Tsukishima turned to Yamaguchi, who was looking at him with a mixture of excitement, concern, and encouragement. Yamaguchi nodded, understanding, and headed out without him.

Kuroo and Tsukishima walked to the university cafe in the english building, which was about five minutes away from the administrative building, where the monthly faculty meetings were held. During that time, they settled into a mildly awkward silence, until Kuroo broke it by asking how he’d been.

“Oh, uh good.” Tsukishima replied clumsily, unsure of what to tell him. Being around Kuroo made him nervous in the weirdest way. He felt emotionally attached to him, but couldn’t quite place why. It might’ve been feelings leftover from their conversations at the bar, but he couldn’t remember those very well at all. “And you?”

“Alright.” Kuroo shifted slightly, looking a bit nervous himself. “By the way,” he trailed off as they approached the line at the cafe. The small coffee shop was slow, as they had arrived on a day light of lectures. “Do you like your coffee sweet? Like with milk and sugar? Or was that just a false assumption?” Kuroo looked half joking, half concerned.

“Yeah,” Tsukishima just nodded as they both regarded the menu. “I usually put in three or four packets of sugar and a fair amount of milk. The way you fixed it the other day was close.”

“Ok,” Kuroo sighed. “And here I was, worried that I had scared you off with coffee that was too sweet.” He chuckled softly. Kei regarded him warily. He had essentially scared him off - although for a very different reason - and yet, Tsukishima felt drawn to him for some reason. As Kuroo stepped up to order their drinks, Kei found himself lost in thought, wondering what it was that he liked about the literature professor. Did he find him attractive? Potentially, although he felt annoyed to admit it. Maybe it was his charisma, or the way he asked and cared about Kei’s interests and feelings. He had backed off as soon as Kei indicated that he had needed space. That was more than some of his past partners could’ve managed.

 _What am I thinking? I barely know him. We’re not even friends._ Tsukishima reminded himself. He then blinked in surprise when he realized that Kuroo had ordered and bought his coffee for him.

“Hey, I can cover myself!” Tsukishima huffed in annoyance.

Kuroo just laughed. “You looked like you were thinking a bit too much. Didn’t want to bother you. And it’s no big deal, don’t worry about.”

The barista slid two cups of steaming coffee across the counter. Kuroo thanked her and handed Kei his cup. He noticed that Kuroo added a single packet of sugar to his cup and held any drop of creamer or milk. Tsukishima quickly sweetened and lightened his coffee with cream and sugar before following Kuroo to a table by the window. The view was splendid - it was a clear and sunny day, the sky blue and the campus beautiful as ever.

Tsukishima shifted his gaze from the window to Kuroo, and met the warm brown eyes that were studying his face. He felt his face grow warm, as he didn’t realize Kuroo was watching him.

“Uh-” Tsukishima averted his gaze to his coffee. “So about...that night…”

Kuroo watched him closely. “Yeah, about that.” He sighed. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. We did get a bit ahead of ourselves. I understand why you were a bit freaked out, waking up in some random guy’s apartment, hungover.”

“Y-yeah,” Tsukishima gulped, his stomach tightening. “It doesn’t help that I don’t remember most of it.”

“Really?” Kuroo pressed, raising his eyebrows in surprise. “What do you remember?”

“I remember you buying me cake at the bar.” Tsukishima muttered, a little embarrassed. “And then I was telling you about dinosaurs at some point...After that I just recall feeling sick in the elevator up to your apartment.”

“Oh no, Tsuki” Kuroo laughed, tipping his head downward. “That’s like ten percent of what happened.” Tsukishima’s stomach dropped. _So I was right._

“Don’t call me that.” He grimaced.

“Okay,” Kuroo agreed lightly. “I can recount the night’s happenings if you want. I remember basically everything.”

Yamaguchi’s voice echoed in his head, asking him if he’d talked to Kuroo about the night. Tsukishima hesitated to reply, unsure if he should trust this guy.

“Look, if it makes you uncomfortable-”

“No.” Tsukishima interrupted him decisively. “Go on. Tell me what happened.”

“Okay.” Kuroo gulped, then dove into his story. “Well I saw you at the bar, downing a frightening amount of alcohol at once. Being the kind and helpful person I am, I approached you and asked you if I could buy you something to eat to sop up all of that liquor. And you called me annoying-”

“I remember that.” Kei said, a small smile on his face. “You were being pushy.”

“I was looking out for you!”

“Go on.”

“Fine,” Kuroo grumbled, mock offense still on his face. “I bought you strawberry shortcake, and asked you what was up. You said crowds made you nervous, which was why you were drinking a lot. To loosen up.”

“It’s something I do occasionally”

“Anyways, I just chatted with you after that. You told me about dinosaurs yes, but also about paleontology and geology.” He looked down at his coffee now. “You even gave me a rough idea for your next research project. You said you needed to start working on your grant proposal soon. And then you asked me about my own research, so I indulged you with my vast knowledge of modern literature.” Kuroo’s smile turned smug as he boasted slightly.

“Some things are better left forgotten.” Tsukishima retorted cheekily. “Continue.”  
“Hey, you said you thought literature was awesome! It was your second choice to teach.”

“Continue.” Tsukishima refused to give him a reply. He could feel himself relaxing into banter with him, a feeling that was somehow vaguely similar. Tsukishima didn’t doubt Kuroo’s words at this point. All of this seemed completely true to him.

“Anyways, after the crowd thinned out, I offered to have you over at my place.” The black haired man looked nervous as he spoke. “I was just worried about you getting to your place, since you were still pretty shitfaced.  When I brought it up, you agreed pretty quickly to going to my place, so I thought it was ok. I just didn’t feel comfortable leaving you on your own because you were still pretty wasted.”

Tsukishima wasn’t sure why, but he knew that Kuroo was being sincere. Maybe it was the anxious tone or the true concern he heard in his voice, but he felt that Kuroo’s account was genuine. “What next?”

“I got us a taxi and we rode over to my apartment.” Kuroo chuckled to himself as he went on. “You almost fell asleep on me in the car.”

Tsukishima blushed at that image, and averted his gaze quickly towards the window. He always was a bit more cuddly when he drank, a habit that he disliked.

“When we rode the elevator up you said you were feeling sick. And then when we got to my apartment, you asked where the bathroom was and…”

“And?”

“You got sick. It was probably for the best though. Better getting it out than getting alcohol poisoning, right?”

“Yikes.” Kei fumbled with his hands. “Sorry, for making you deal with that.”

“It’s okay, honestly.” Kuroo met his gaze and Tsukishima sensed his gentle honesty. “I made you a grilled cheese after that. You said my cooking was terrible, though.” He laughed. “I think you were just messing with me.”

“Sounds like me.”

“And then…” Kuroo trailed off and hesitated. “Ugh, how do I say this?” He scratched the back of his head. Tsukishima felt dread, as the moment he’d been waiting for had arrived. “Well all night you said you weren’t going to sleep with me. A-and, like, I wasn’t expecting anything, honestly! I told you that, but you just asked me why I was being nice to you if I didn’t intend on sleeping with you. Well, after you ate some of the food I cooked for you, you said it again, like ‘I’m not gonna sleep with you, you know’” - Tsukishima grimaced at Kuroo’s impression of him - “But then you offered to kiss me instead.”

“And?” Tsukishima was hanging on to every word, eyes observant and searching,

“I told you no, not tonight. It was just, you were still pretty shitfaced and I didn’t want you waking up the next morning with a bunch of regrets and guilt, I guess?”

Tsukishima regarded him with a straight face, despite the fact that his mind was rushing to process this information. _We didn’t sleep together. I’ve been avoiding him and acting like an ass all of this time over NOTHING._

“Uh” Kuroo cocked his head. “I’m sorry, but can you say something? Seeing you all quiet like this is kind of nerve-wracking.”

“Right.” Tsukishima hadn't realized he had been thinking for so long.  He tried to keep his tone as neutral as possible. “Thank you for being respectful. I really appreciate it. And, um… I’m sorry about avoiding you.”

“Oh it’s okay! I think it was just a misunderstanding.”

“Yeah.” Tsukishima couldn’t help but still feel embarrassed. Had he really offered to kiss Kuroo? At least they hadn’t slept together, but kissing was still one of those things Tsukishima only reserved for those he had deeply cared for. Had he really felt that comfortable around Kuroo that night?

“So, um.” Kuroo began quietly. “What would you like to do? About this, I mean?”

“Hm,” Tsukishima observed him carefully, gauging his expression. He could tell that he had feelings for Kuroo, but none so concrete as to define at this point. It was still very early in their relationship in his opinion. If one thing turned Tsukishima off from a person, it was rushing into a relationship that wasn’t well developed.

“Let’s be friends.” Tsukishima stated simply. “Is that okay with you?”

“Yeah, that’s okay.” Kuroo’s expression was unreadable, but he didn’t look disappointed. Tsukishima was relieved for that much. He didn’t want him to think he was being rejected. Kei just wasn’t ready for anything more than a friendship at this point.

The black haired professor finished off his coffee, and slowly got up. “Thanks for talking to me about all this. If you’ll excuse me, I have office hours to hold in a few minutes.”

 

* * *

 

 

"Tsuki-chan!" A familiar, annoying voice cooed at him from across the hall.  Tendou was leaning against the wall next to their friend and roommate, Ushijima Wakatoshi.  They were about to continue talking, when Tsukishima sighed, turned, and cut them off.

 

"I would prefer if you left Kuroo-san alone." He said firmly.  He held Tendou's gaze as he continued.  "He is a friend of mine and I would hate for him to have to endure your annoying presence any longer than he has to."

 

"Tsuki! How rude!" Tendou shouted at him, obviously annoyed.  However, Tsukishima knew they understood the meaning beneath his words as he turned away nonchalantly, waving the red head away.  

 


	4. Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kuroo fails at Mario Kart, receives and gives advice to his friends, and helps a sleepy Tsukishima home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little warning, there is a slight change in perspective near the end of this. I thought it was worth keeping in. 
> 
> Also, I really love Mario Kart 8 deluxe, and I am using that as my go-to Kenma game because I think he would love it as much as I do.
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing/editing this chapter. It's kind of simple, but I hope you like it nonetheless!

_But if stars, shouldn't shine_  
_By the very first time_  
_Then dear it's fine, so fine by me_  
_'Cos we can give it time_  
_So much time_  
_With me_  
\- Stars, the xx

 

"He said, 'Let's be friends!'" Kuroo groaned, faceplanting into Kenma's coach. "Kenma, I'm going to die."

"What's the problem? He came to you. He talked to you. He gave you a pretty clear answer." Kenma replied nonchalantly, playing a platformer on his laptop. "There's nothing wrong with being his friend. Stop whining."

"Okay, I know you're right." Kuroo grumbled, rolling over. "Can you give me like five minutes to lament over the lack of a romantic relationship in my life without judging me?"

"Lament away." Kenma's eyes stayed focused on his game, which actually had beautiful pixel art. "Not to give you too much hope or anything, but being friends isn't like a death sentence. The best relationships are based in friendship."

"True." Kuroo flopped onto his back. “Very true. I just have a very annoying crush on this guy, and friendship leaves me in a state of constant pining.” He rolled over again and groaned again, this time into a pillow.

“I could ask Hinata about him for you,” Kenma shrugged.

“Could you?” Kuroo’s head shot up in excitement. “I really don’t want to mess up again and scare him away for good this time.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you what I can when I find out.” Kenma’s eyes moved to the side, as he glanced at Kuroo. “Don’t you have lesson plans to prepare?”

“I did the next set of lesson plans for the entire month.” The black haired professor sighed, leaning his head on to his hand. “I needed something to distract me back when he was avoiding me.” At these words, Kenma paused his game.

“Do you want to play Mario Kart or something? I can come back to this later.”

“Yeah, that might help. I need to not think for a few hours.”

“If you play Mario Kart without thinking, that explains why you never make it to third place.”

“I’m not superhuman like you! It’s always 200cc or mirror mode with you and I suck at higher speeds!”

Kenma just laughed at Kuroo as he stood up to turn on the console.

 

* * *

 

 

Bokuto sighed over his lunch, chewing his food sluggishly.

“Bro, what’s wrong?”Kuroo asked with eyes wide with concern. “You never sigh over Brunch.” Brunch, or Bro Lunch, was the name they had given their weekly lunch meet-up. Though Kenma had scoffed at how juvenile it seemed, Kuroo and Bokuto always looked forward to their time to catch up in whatever restaurant they chose to eat at. Today, it was cheap, but extremely delicious ramen. Kuroo was right - there was no reason to sigh. The food was amazing.

Yet Bokuto looked completely dejected, staring into his ramen bowl as if it will make him feel better.

“I don’t know, Kuroo.” He sighed again. “Do you think that Akaashi is out of my league?”

“Aw, Bo c’mon don’t think like that-”

“He’s completely out of my league, why did I even ask!” He threw his arms up in despair, messing up his already messy white and gray hair. “He’s so attractive! And smart! And clever-”

“Bo.” Kuroo cut him off, staring at him intensely. “Just ask the poor bastard out. If not for his good, then your own.”

“But..” Bokuto trailed off sullenly. “At the wedding, he didn’t ask me to come home and he didn’t stay out that late with me. He left pretty early with some other people from your department-”

“Because he had carpooled and they were leaving.” Kuroo groaned. “That doesn’t mean he’s not interested. He takes every opportunity to talk to you! Y’know, I had to really drag him to that first volleyball game, but after he met you there, he started going to every one of them?”

“Yeah, he chats with me at them all the time!” Bokuto perked up, starting to follow Kuroo’s train of thought. “I really enjoy the company. You only make half of them, lazy!”

“I’m a busy guy! I’m actually picking up shifts in the library now! Yakkun said they were short four circulation assistants, so they needed the extra help. I have an internship program to manage along with that, and my lectures and research to boot! Of course I can’t go to every match.”

“Fine,” Bokuto relented. “But anyways, what should I do about Akaashi? You know him better than me.”

“Just be chill-” he paused, remembering who he was talking to. “Er, well, just be friendly with him. But don’t overstep his boundaries? Akaashi may seem cold, but he’s very caring and thoughtful when he wants to be. I think if you take your time, it should work out.”

“AHH, That’s so hard!!” Bokuto squawked.

“I’m right there with you buddy.” Kuroo said, half to himself, as he patted Bokuto on the shoulder.

“Huh?” Bokuto turned his head quickly. “Who- Is this about that blonde guy at the bar?? Tsuki whatever?”

“Tsukishima.” Kuroo grumbled, turning his head away from Bokuto’s prying gaze. “It’s nothing big. I wasn’t planning on talking about it.”

“Well what happened? You two seemed pretty into each other at the wedding. Did you do it?” Bokuto ends with an impish grin that makes Kuroo punch him in the arm.

“No, asshole, we just talked.”

“Wow, gay.” Bokuto snickered into his ramen.

“You’re gay.”

“I’m bi.”

“Hi bi, I’m dad.” Kuroo laughed as Bokuto looked at him in betrayal.

“Kuroo, I had no idea you were into that daddy kink stuff-”

“Nope. We’re not doing this. This conversation is over.”

 

* * *

 

 

Kuroo tapped his fingers on the circulation desk, feeling a little bored. He had just finished checking in some overdue books and stood back to relax. It had been a two weeks since his talk with Tsukishima. He hadn’t seen him much since then. They had both been busy, Tsukishima with his lectures, and Kuroo deciding on candidates for his internship course, along with the workload of his other courses.

Kuroo had also been asked by Yaku, the head research librarian at the library of arts and humanities and an old friend of his, to fill in some shifts at the circulation desk at the library. Apparently 3 out of the 5 circulation assistants took off work for some reason or another this week, so they were extremely short staffed. Kuroo had told Yaku a while ago that he was available to help out at the library since he used to work at one in his undergraduate days, and he could always use the extra paycheck. Still, he felt kind of annoyed that it left him with less time to work with...less time to see Tsukishima.

The two of them had held conversations around campus since the big talk at the cafe, but it didn’t feel like quite enough for Kuroo. He wanted to ask him out to lunch or something, but he was worried that it was just a bit too much for the blonde.

“Hey Kuroo-san,” a monotone voice called him. He turned to see his colleague and friend, Akaashi Keiji, walking over in his direction. “They have you working the desk this week.”

“That’s what happens when two people take vacation and another takes sick leave.”

“I suppose.” Akaashi stood on the other side of the desk, leaning slightly on his elbow. “I’m here before a lecture. My class is coming by today to research for one of their papers. I have a few minutes before that though. How have you been? I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Yeah, it’s been a busy week for me.” Kuroo admitted. “I have that internship that I’m coordinating between that publishing firm. I had to make the final cuts for that.” He sighed. “I hate rejecting students for that kind of thing, but we only have the resources for so many, y’know?”

“Yeah, I understand the feeling.” Akaashi nodded. His gaze wavered for a moment, and he looked away as he continued. “So, uh, I have a question. Unrelated to teaching.”

“Hm?” Kuroo smiled with curiosity. Akaashi looked slightly more flustered than usual. “Shoot.”

“You know how we hold that annual inter-department sports day?” Akaashi began. “And we usually play kickball and then some smaller activities on the side?”

“Yeah?”

“What if we tried to coordinate with a sports team from the university this time around? And we could have that sport as the main event instead of kickball.”

“And what sport would you suggest?” Kuroo knew his answer before it left his mouth.

“Volleyball seems like a good option.”

“Really Akaashi-san? I thought volleyball was disinteresting to you? That’s what you said when I dragged you to your first game here.” Kuroo was enjoying this, as he spoke in a tone that dripped with sarcasm.

“You know I’ve changed my mind since then.” Akaashi balked. “And wouldn’t that be more fun than kickball for the fifth year in a row?”

“You’ve got a point. I’ll bring it up with the coaches and the dean.” Kuroo nodded. “You know, if you need a wingman for the situation with Bokuto, I could take you two out sometime.”

“Nope.” Akaashi immediately responded. “I don’t need a push. I’m fine. Thanks for the offer anyway.” He turned away, walking towards the staircase across the room. “If you’ll excuse me, my class is beginning soon.”

“Okay, talk to you later!” Kuroo said brightly. He wondered if Tsukishima would participate in the staff sports tournament. It was optional, but always a fun time to bond with coworkers. Kuroo tried to remember if he had participated in the past, but he was drawing a blank.

Speaking of which, a certain tall blonde professor crossed his field of vision, as he stood deep in thought at the service desk. He thought he had imagined Tsukishima walking across the library towards the stacks, but after blinking a few times and rubbing his eyes vigorously, he realized it was very real.

“Tsuki!” He called, coming around the desk and approaching the professor, who stiffened at the pet name. “What are you up to?”

“When did we drop honorifics?” Tsukishima exhaled, shaking his head. He didn’t object to the name, however, which Kuroo saw as a positive sign. “I’m here to work on my grant proposal. I have to begin researching seriously.”

“Why aren’t you using the STEM library? Isn’t it closer to your office?” Kuroo asked, genuinely confused.

“I would, but the STEM library is smaller, louder, and more crowded.” Tsukishima grimaced. “I like this one better. It has more windows and workspaces, and it tends to be quieter.”

“That’s true.” Kuroo nodded. “Well, they have me filling in at the circulation desk this week, so if you need any help finding anything, let me know.”

Tsukishima blinked, a hint of surprise on his face. “I didn’t know you worked here too.”

“It’s only when they really need it.” Kuroo explained sheepishly. “Nice coincidence though, huh?”

“Yeah, I suppose.” Tsukishima simpered. He turned away from Kuroo as he said, “I’ll be over at the work stations.”

“Okay, nice seeing you!” Kuroo waved, and returned to his place at the circulation desk. Kuroo couldn’t believe his luck, but just seeing Tsukishima for that short encounter left him beaming.

 

* * *

 

 

A few hours had passed, and as Kuroo neared the end of his shift, he wondered how Tsukishima was doing. He hadn’t approached him with questions or concerns, but he also hadn’t walked around to get a snack, drink, or take a break. _Maybe I should check on him..._

The circulation desk was fairly slow that day, and another assistant - named Otaki - had arrived half an hour ago. She was a fairly relaxed person. When he told her that he was going to check some of the stacks for anything out of place, she just nodded with a smile.

After walking past two rows of work desks, Kuroo spotted the blonde professor. He didn’t look so tall when he was seated, especially considering how his head was leaning on the desk, on top of his crossed arms. As he approached, Kuroo realized that he had fallen asleep, with his glasses on and his laptop open.

He looked so calm. Kuroo decided that he’d only seen his face that relaxed in sleep. His chest rose and lowered slowly, and Kuroo almost considered not waking him. However, a quick glance of the clock confirmed that it was getting late, and he knew Tsukishima would be frustrated if he had wasted too much time asleep.

But first, Kuroo thought to himself, I’ve got to get him something to help keep him up. He headed back to the staff lounge behind the circulation desk, and returned by Tsukishima’s side several minutes later with freshly prepared coffee. He was sure to remember to add an appropriate amount of sugar and cream.

“Hey Tsuki,” he mumbled quietly, leaning just a bit closer. He gently shook his shoulder. “C’mon, sleepyhead.”

“Mmm,” Tsukishima turned his head and cracked his eyes opened. “What happened?” He looked genuinely confused.

“You fell asleep while you were working on your grant proposal.” Kuroo explained slowly, his hand lingering softly on Tsukishima’s shoulder.

Tsukishima sat up quickly. “Can I have the time?”

“Yeah, it’s almost six.”

“I have a lecture at six.” Tsukishima stood up from his chair, causing Kuroo to step away from him quickly to avoid running into him. “I have to- pack up” He sputtered out quickly, obviously still tired.

“Are you sure you can’t cancel for tonight?” Kuroo suggested, a little concerned. “It’s on the other side of campus, and you don’t seem very awake yet.”

“I never miss a lecture.” Tsukishima stated grimly. Kuroo put his hands on his hips and cocked his head.

“All the more reason to take a break. You look like you really need a rest. Pushing yourself too hard is bad for your health, you know.”

“God, when did you become my mother?” Tsukishima groaned, regarding him grouchily.  He stifled a yawn as he spoke, and slumped as he realized that Kuroo was right.

“Look, take some sips of this.” Kuroo pushed the cup of coffee into his hand. “And if you open your email, I’ll write up something to notify your students about your lecture. Sound good?”

“Then, what?” Tsukishima cocked his eyebrow, his tone sarcastic. “Are you going to let me return to my nap with my laptop pillow?”

“I mean, I could drive you back to your place if you want. That way you can just go home and rest.” Kuroo said simply. “Now come on, open up your email."

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" Tsuki asked incredulously.

"I get off at 6pm.  It's 5:57pm.  I think they'll live."

He regarded Kuroo for a moment, sizing him up.  His eyes were red from sleep, and he attempted to stifle another yawn, clapping his hand over his mouth in an attempt to hide it from Kuroo.  The black haired professor just chuckled. _How cute,_ he thought.  As Tsukishima sighed in resignation, Kuroo knew that he would accept his help.

“Fine,” Tsukishima grumbled, opening a new tab and logging into his staff email. “There.” He stepped away from the desk to make room for Kuroo. “I didn’t know you had a car. I thought you took the train like me.”

“I can drive or take public transit. I happen to have my car with me today.” Kuroo explained as he quickly typed an apologetic email. “Does this sound ok?” He looked at Tsukishima for feedback.

After a quick skim, Tsukishima nodded and dropped into a chair next to Kuroo. He held his head in his hands for a moment, looking extremely tired.

“Hey, Tsuki,” Kuroo said softly, his hand returning to the tired professor’s shoulder. “Would you like to stop for food or something on the way home?”

Tsukima grunted. “No, I have leftovers at my place that I need to finish anyways. I’m more concerned about sleeping honestly.”

“Okay, well I’ll go clock out and meet you back here. Sound good?”

“Mhm.”

Kuroo returned a few minutes later, his briefcase in his hands, wearing a light jacket halfway zipped up. Tsukishima had packed up all of his materials and was standing by the desk, scrolling on his phone while he was waiting.

“C’mon Tsuki, let’s head out.”

“Right.” Tsukishima followed Kuroo out, still scrolling on his phone.

“Are you still waking up?” Kuroo asked as they walked out of the library and onto campus.

“Yeah.” he sighed. “I think you woke me in the middle of a sleep cycle. My mind isn’t really functioning that well.” another sigh. “The headache isn’t helping either.”

“I’m sorry. I thought you’d want to be up,” Kuroo said, with a hint of regret in his voice.

“Oh no, thank you for waking me up when you did.” Tsukishima clarified, putting his phone down to focus on talking to Kuroo. “I think if I had slept there any longer my back or my neck would be killing me along with my head.”

“Do you want some headache medicine? I have some in my car.”

“Yeah, actually. That would be great.” Tsukishima rubbed his temple slowly and took a deep breath to combat the pain.

“Where do you live anyway?” Kuroo asked as they neared the parking lot near the english building.

“Just 20 minutes south of campus. I have an apartment a few blocks from the subway.” Kuroo nodded and asked for the exact address. The pair neared a worn Honda civic as the black haired professor typed the address into his routing app. Though it was black, the car’s coat of paint was dull and weathered.

“This is my baby, Amari.” Kuroo patted the hood fondly. “I’ve had this one since my undergraduate studies. Bought it with the money I made with the library.” He unlocked the door and opened it for Tsukishima.

“Thanks,” The blonde mumbled, climbing into the car. He had to scoot the seat back a few clicks to fit his long legs in the passenger seat. The interior of the car was fairly tidy. He was little surprised, as he thought Kuroo would be messier.

Kuroo slid into the driver’s seat beside him and buckled in. He popped open the console between the two of them and pulled out a bottle of ibuprofen, handing it to Tsukishima.

“Do you need water?” He asked as the blonde unscrewed the cap.

“Nah, the pills are small. I can take them without water.” Kuroo nodded, and put the car into drive.

As he pulled out of the parking lot, he clicked on the radio. It was some song by the Revivalists. Kei recognized the band from their sound, though it was different than their usual music. It was a fast paced song, taking heavy inspiration from disco music. He smiled, enjoying the comfortable lull in conversation, which the music filled quite well.

_So Friday night, holy ghost/ Take me to your level / Show me the one I need the most / I need the most_

Kuroo bobbed his head to the music. Tsukishima was expecting an onslaught of questions about his sleeping habits and his workload, but instead Kuroo just left him some time to relax.

_I wish I knew you when I was young / We could’ve got so high / Now we’re here and it’s been so long / Two strangers in the bright lights_

“Thank you for this Kuroo” Tsukishima said quietly, almost quieter than the music on the radio.

“No problem, Tsuki.” He noticed that Kuroo was smiling deeply.

“What?” Tsukishima asked, searching the other man’s expression.

_Oh I hope you don't mind / We can share my mood / Two strangers in the bright lights_

“It made me happy to hear you call me Kuroo, is all” he said earnestly. “You seemed very attached to the honorifics. You even used them when you were dead ass drunk.”

“Let’s not talk about me drunk.” Kei shuddered in embarrassment.

“Ok.” Kuroo made a smooth turn, and Tsukishima was actually impressed with his skilled driving. He seemed like the type to speed, but he was going the speed limit, using his turn signal, and checking his mirrors. Seeing him act so responsibly was pretty refreshing. He may have an appearance that implied a rebellious attitude, but the actual way that he behaved led Tsukishima to believe that he was more thoughtful than he let on.

“So, have you been sleeping well?” Kuroo asked, trying to sound neutral. Kei still heard the strain of concern tinging his voice.

“Well enough. I’ve been getting in bed by midnight most nights.”

“Most nights?” Kuroo stole a glance at Tsukishima this time, the worry now obvious in his voice.

“Some nights I stay up later to finish work. Or because I can’t sleep as well.”

“Do you think you have insomnia?”

“It doesn’t happen enough to interfere with my daily life.” Tsukishima balked in a monotone voice.

“You don’t consider this an interference?” the black haired man asked as they turned down a narrow city street.

“Fair.” Kei conceded, turning to look at the passing lights other cars and city signs. He noticed that the song on the radio had changed, although he didn’t recognize the lyrics.

“You know, if you ever can’t sleep you can call me.” Kuroo offered, eyes focused on the road. Tsukishima turned and noticed his grip on the wheel had tightened ever so slightly.

“I don’t have your number.”

“Take my phone, add a contact, and text yourself.” Kuroo nodded his head towards the phone in his one of his cupholders, which was routing them to Kei’s apartment. “I know my way from here, so the routing isn’t a necessity.”

“Ok,” Tsukishima sighed, reaching for the phone. It didn’t have a passcode, which surprised him slightly. Kuroo must be trusting, to not keep his phone locked.

“You actually don’t live that far from me.” Kuroo observed. “It’s maybe a half hour walk.”

“It’s not like we visit that much.” Tsuki mumbled as he typed his number into Kuroo’s phone.

“We could.” The black haired professor added. “I mean, I visit my other friends sometimes. You know, Kenma and Bokuto and Akaashi even.”

“I don’t know any of those people.” Tsukishima remarked, feigning indifference.

“I’ll have to introduce you sometime. I think you’d like them. Especially Akaashi. He’s quiet and thoughtful, kind of like you.”

“Hm,” Tsuki turned back to the window as he finished adding Kuroo as a contact on his own phone. A few moments passed without either of them continuing the conversation. Tsukishima placed Kuroo’s phone back in the cupholder after he sent himself a text. Kuroo began to slow, driving a little below the speed limit, as he neared the apartment complex that Tsukishima lived in.

“This it?” He asked as he slowed to a stop and signaled to pull over.

“Yeah.” Tsukishima unbuckled himself and hesitated before stepping out. Kuroo looked at him, a question restrained on his lips. “I’ll see you then.” Kei slid out of the car and held up a hand in farewell, his other had clutching his briefcase and laptop case.

“Don’t forget the coffee I made you.” Kuroo said, half in jest.

“Right.” The blonde reached back into the car and pulled out the cup of coffee from the cupholder. “Thanks Kuroo. For everything.”

“No problem.” Kuroo pulled back onto the main road slowly, mindful of traffic. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kei’s figure disappear into the apartment building. His mouth pulled into a frown, and his eyebrows knit together into a tense knot.

 _Fuck, I’m in deep._ He sighed to himself as he shifted gears and pulled back onto the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be about the faculty sports day from Tsukishima's perspective! It's going to be great :3


	5. The Dark Side of the Gym

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, are you going to the inter-department sports day?” A voice asked over Tsukishima’s shoulder. He turned from the work at his desk and was met with a grinning Kuroo. The literature professor had taken to randomly popping by his office during his office hours because he had complained that they didn’t see each other enough. Tsukishima had admitted that maintaining a friendship with someone outside of his department was difficult. Thus, he had given Kuroo his office hours.
> 
> He was regretting that decision in this moment as Kuroo looked at him expectantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are two sets of lyrics from the National this week to celebrate the release of their [new album!](https://open.spotify.com/album/6zG9PHw8dlMLIyRE9TEGGk)
> 
> Today is the sports day chapter!! I'm really excited to release this for you all. It was difficult to write, but also a lot of fun! I hope you like it :)
> 
> We got kurotsuki with a side of BokuAka this chapter :**

_It's just the lights coming on_   
_It's just the lights coming on_   
  
_I have no positions_   
_No point of view or vision_   
_I'm just trying to stay in touch with anything I'm still in touch with_

\- I'll Still Destroy You, The National

_But I'm gonna keep you in love with me for a while_   
_I'm gonna keep you in love with me_

\- The Dark Side of The Gym, The National

“Hey, are you going to the inter-department sports day?” A voice asked over Tsukishima’s shoulder. He turned from the work at his desk and was met with a grinning Kuroo. The literature professor had taken to randomly popping by his office during his office hours because he complained that they didn’t see each other enough. Tsukishima admitted that maintaining a friendship with someone outside of his department was difficult. Thus, he had given Kuroo his office hours.

He was regretting that decision in this moment as Kuroo looked at him expectantly.

“I never go to the sports day.” He turned back to his work. “I’m not a fan of kickball, or socializing, or loud people. All of which are present at that event.”

“Well actually, my friend Akaashi decided to change things up this year. We managed to persuade the dean to approve a faculty volleyball match.” Tsukishima turned back to the other professor. Kuroo swore he saw excitement flash across his face as he sensed Tsukishima’s interest in the topic. “You used to play in high school, right?”

“How did you know that?” Kei asked suspiciously.

“Chibi-chan told me about it.” Kuroo grinned smugly, obviously pleased that Hinata was correct.

"Of course he did," Tsuki deadpanned, turning to face his laptop again. “Either way, I don’t see the point in playing. It’s just a way to get tired. I’m tired enough already.”

“Hey, you know I used to play volleyball in high school too.” Kuroo pressed, now stepping closer towards Tsukishima. He tried not to stare, but the black haired professor looked particularly handsome today, with a loose maroon tie around his neck and an argyle sweater vest over a white button up, the sleeves of which were pushed up to his elbows. Tsukishima was painfully aware of the closing distance between them. “Wouldn’t it be nice to play together?”

Tsukishima cursed Kuroo, as he had somehow managed to look sexy, hot, and cute at the same time. He also cursed at himself for thinking such a thing about Kuroo. And Kuroo was waiting for an answer, with that smirk of his. Tsukishima wasn’t thinking as he spoke.

“Yeah, I guess.” He agreed. _Shit._

“Great! I’ll get you all registered then!” Kuroo said happily, clapping his hands together. He left before Tsukishima could call him back and say he had changed his mind. “I’ll text you later about what you should bring and wear!” He called over his shoulder as he ran out the door, leaving Tsuksihima hiding a blush behind his hand.

 

* * *

 

 

“I still can’t believe you’re playing in the inter-department volleyball game!” Yamaguchi said loudly, only reminding Tsukishima of his own blunder. They were walking together to the event, although Yamaguchi wasn’t participating. “You must really like Kuroo-san, if he was able to convince you.”

“I accidentally agreed and it was too late to say no at that point,” Tsukishima retorted, obviously annoyed. “I should have never told that annoying volleyball coach that I used to play.” He sighed regretfully.

The pair arrived at the volleyball court, and Tsukishima grimaced as he saw a bouncy orange haired coach bounding towards him.

“Tsukishimaaaaa!” He shouted, jumping at the blonde for a hug. Tsukishima quickly stepped aside, causing Hinata to collide with Yamaguchi instead. “I’m so glad you decided to show up!!”

“Stop making such a fuss out of it,” Tsukishima grumbled, keeping his distance from Hinata. “You’re not even playing. I don’t get why you’re so excited.”

“Ohoho, you didn’t hear?” A fit-looking man with wild white and gray hair strolled up to Tsukishima, Kuroo by his side. “Coaches are in on this match. That was the deal, right Kuroo?”

“Right, right.” Kuroo nodded, smirking a little.

“I don’t get it.” Yamaguchi said in confusion. “Isn’t this for professors?”

“Well, we had to volunteer our time and equipment for this to happen,” the man continued. Tsukishima figured he was another volleyball coach. “So it’d make sense for it to benefit us as well. Aside from wanting to play volleyball ourselves, Shoyo and I have a bit of a conflict to settle.” His eyes flicked over to the jumpy co-coach. “Right, Chibi-chan?”

“Hey, don’t call me that!” Hinata spouted, throwing his arms in the air. “Y-you rude idiot!”

“I mean calling Bokuto an idiot is more like stating a fact,” Kuroo deadpanned, a cat-like smirk on his face.

“Hey, uncalled for!” Bokuto swung around, gesturing wildly in defense.  Both he and Hinata looked ridiculous, waving their arms in the same exuberant manner.  

 _What the hell did I sign up for._ Tsukishima asked himself. He met gazes with Kuroo, quirking his eyebrow quizzically. He tried to ignore the surge of electricity he felt race up his spine as Kuroo held the eye contact and smiled back, now approaching him.

“They made a bet.” he explained, leading Tsukishima away from the noise. “Bokuto is actually one of the top coaches in the country. He's nationally ranked at number 4 this year as a college coach.”

“That’s impressive, but how is it relevant?” Kei asked, keeping his gaze lowered.

“Hinata wants to prove that he’s as good at coaching as Bokuto,” Kuroo continued. “Well, actually he keeps on saying that he wants to be better. So they made a bet on this game. Hinata will be on one team, Bokuto will be on the other, and whoever wins, wins the bet.”

“And the bet entails what?”

“If Hinata wins, he gets to coach a match by himself. He thinks this will show Bokuto that he is dependable enough to be considered a main coach.”

“And if he loses?” Tsukishima asked, trying not to sound too curious.

“He buys Bokuto drinks for a week.” Kuroo snickered. Tsukishima shuddered at the thought of those two drunk even for a night. He couldn't try to imagine them getting consistently drunk throughout the week.

“So I got roped into a petty bet.” The blonde narrowed his eyes at Kuroo, who still wore an amused smile. “And you were in on this.”

“Hey, the bet is a side thing. The best thing about today, in my opinion, is playing volleyball on the same team as you.”

“We’re on the same team?” Kei asked “How do you know?”

“Well, Bo and Hinata chose their players. I just made sure to ask Bo to pair us.” Kuroo said simply, as if it was no big deal. Tsukishima felt a rush of mixed emotions in his chest - excitement, fondness, and annoyance to name a few.

“Why are you so intent on playing volleyball with me?” Tsuki scoffed, averting his eyes.

“I have a feeling we’d do well.” Kuroo’s smile deepened, and Tsukishima realized he was being truthful. “You look like you were a fearsome blocker back in high school.” He turned his face away, hoping his blush wasn’t noticeable. Kuroo had yet to compliment him when he was sober, and the shock of praise always left Kei a little flustered.

As they approached the bleachers, Tsukishima bent down to tie his shoe. Not in avoidance, he convinced himself. His shoelaces were looking loose.

“Anyways, I’ll grab you a jersey and we can warm up together if you want.” Tsukishima looked up at Kuroo, trying to keep his face neutral as he nodded.

 

* * *

 

 

The game was between the Owls - Bokuto’s team - and the Crows - Hinata’s team. Tsukishima observed his teammates, and felt a little at ease. They had a good group. There were 2 setters in the main rotation, Akaashi on one side of the court, and Sugawara on the other side. Tsuki was glad to be playing with Suga of all people. His presence was calming, and he seemed like a dependable player. They had 4 attackers along the the setters, with Asahi and Bokuto as the wing spikers, and Kuroo and Kei as the middle blockers. He was glad to be playing the position that he’d played in high school. Though he was nervous and out of practice, something deep in his chest stirred with excitement. When he met eyes with Kuroo accidentally, that excitement only intensified.

“Do you remember how to block?” Kuroo asked, his tone teasing.

“Of course,” Tsukishima huffed, turning his head. He walked over to Sugawara to avoid further taunts from the cat-like professor.

“I didn’t know you played volleyball, Tsuki-chan!” Tsukishima stiffened, stopped dead in his tracks, and slowly turned to meet the familiar voice. Tendou stood on the other side of the net, wearing a wide smile. “This is going to be fun!”

“Hey, that’s your friend, right?” Kuroo asked, having followed Tsuki down the court.

“We’re not friends.” Kei muttered.

“He’s in the college of science with us,” Suga explained to Kuroo, hands on his hips. “Kind of odd, but he seems to like Tsukishima-san.”

Before Kuroo or Tsukishima could respond, Hinata began shouting for everyone to take their places on the court. As he walked into position - Tsukishima was on the front line along with Bokuto and Akaashi - he looked over the opposing team. They had Hinata on the front line as well, with Tendou and Kenma. Oikawa, Daichi, and Ushijima were on the back line. Tsukishima wondered what Hinata was thinking with his rotation, but shrugged the thought away. He didn’t care enough about this match to analyze it.

Oikawa served first, winking at Sugawara before unleashing an ungodly powerful hit towards the far left of the court. Despite Asahi’s attempt to receive, the ball skimmed out of his reach. The first point went to the Crows.

“I’m not sure if I should kiss you or scold you,” Suga scowled, while Oikawa just threw him a peace sign in response.

“This next one’s for you, babe!” Oikawa shouted, sending another serve with incredible force across the net. Sugawara managed to receive it, sending the ball high, but still on their side of the net. From Akaashi’s posture, Tsukishima knew the toss was going to the wing spiker. However, he still moved as if he expected the ball. This was enough to fool Tendou, who followed him with a block.

When the toss went to Bokuto instead, Tsukishima saw Tendou grit their teeth. _I read them right,_ he thought with satisfaction. Knowing that Tendou was the type to assume and follow their intuition, Kei figured that acting as a decoy would confuse the block. As Bokuto’s spike pummelled into the side of the court, just barely in, Kei remembered how much he enjoyed contributing to a point in volleyball. Even if he wasn’t directly scoring, it was the details that made those flashy spikes possible. He grinned, a small, almost indistinguishable smile.

“Tsukiiiii” Tendou groaned. “Why are you good at faking people out, huh? You play dirty.”

“Good job Bokuto, Akaashi!” Kuroo called from the backline. “Good lead, Tsuki!” Tsukishima felt his heart tug, but ignored it and paid attention to the serve instead.

The first set went by quickly, with both teams staying within a few points of the other. Tsukishima managed to pull off a feint over the block, causing Hinata and Tendou to groan in unison and Kuroo to give him a pat on the back. His skin was warm where Kuroo’s hand had touched him.

He was impressed with Kuroo’s skills as a player. He received consistently, spiked with force and thought, and blocked only after understanding the trajectory of the toss. His experience from high school and recreational play after college definitely aided him in the match. Tsukishima was not as fortunate. Though he still remembered his training from high school, he hadn’t played volleyball in years. Truthfully, he was rusty at the sport.

The Crows reached match point first, thanks to Oikawa’s intense serves and Ushijima’s powerful spikes. Tsukishima was tense, on the front line, and readying himself to block. As the serve went up, Daichi received it and set the ball towards Kenma. Though not flashy, Kei could tell he was an extremely thoughtful and intelligent strategist. He wracked his brain, trying to quickly figure out where the toss was going. From the backline, he saw Hinata and Tendou moving forward. But then, he had a feeling it was meant for their most powerful spiker. He moved towards Ushijima, and then grimaced when he saw Kenma dumped the ball over the net. He was a second too slow, and the first set went to the Crows as the ball hit the ground.

“Ahhhh!” Bokuto shouted, mussing up his hair. “I can’t lose to my protege!”

“Calm down, Bokuto-san.” Akaashi said, placing a wary hand on his shoulder. “We’ve got this. Remember that move that we practiced?” The latter question was quiet, only meant for the team to hear.

“Oh, are you sure?” Bokuto said in a whisper-shout.

Akaashi nodded, a small smile on his face. Tsukishima couldn’t help but think that Akaashi looked oddly animated.

“Oy, oy, Bo don’t get too excited.” Kuroo cautioned, patting his other shoulder. “We just take it one play at a time, right?”

“Right!” Bokuto yelled, pumping his fist. Tsukishima thought the image was amusing, with Kuroo on one side patting his shoulder and Akaashi comforting him on the other side.   _Bokuto is lucky to have people like that,_ Tsukishima decided.   _People that understand how to pick him back up when he was down._

“Something funny?” Suga asked curiously, coming up beside him.

“Nothing,” Tsukishima wiped his mouth and the smile was gone. “Do you have anything planned for this next set?”

“Not really,” Suga said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “I do my best when I know my teammate’s preferences though. Anything I should change up?”

“Ah, well maybe make the toss a bit higher?” Tsukishima offered after a moment of thought.

“Can do!” Suga replied sunnily.

“Oy, Tsuki!” Kuroo jogged up to him, probably having finished comforting Bokuto. “Can I talk to you about your block for a second?”

Tsukishima considered brushing him off, but he could tell his friend only wanted to help. He sighed. “Sure.”

Kuroo then went into a quick refresher of blocks - how to improve read blocking, where to concentrate the power of the block, and how to properly hold one’s arms so as to avoid injury. However, he was cut mid sentence when the referee called for the next set to begin.

The next set went similarly to the first until Akaashi and Bokuto set up a quick that broke the Crow’s momentum. Tsukishima had jumped at the same time as Bokuto, or at least he thought, but was surprised by the speed of the toss and Bokuto’s spike. It landed straight along the side of the court, thankfully in legal bounds. Akaashi and Bokuto exchanged a glance and high-fived, obviously both excited with the success of their attack.

Tsukishima found himself landing more spikes and blocking more reliably, thanks to both Suga for accommodating him with his tosses, and Kuroo for reviewing blocks with him. Kuroo actually gave him a pat on the shoulder and a smile when he managed to block one of Ushijima’s intense spikes.

“Nice job, Tsuki. You picked this back up quick huh?” he was saying it lightly, but Tsukishima felt deep emotions fill his gut. He suppressed any embarrassing response that may have popped into his head and just nodded.

“You’re doing pretty well yourself, Kuroo.” Tsukishima allowed himself to say, struggling to keep his tone even. He wasn’t sure why he was so flustered every time Kuroo paid him a compliment. It might’ve been the way Kuroo looked at him, his eyes attentive and sincere, or the way Kuroo’s words felt like they held more weight than anyone else’s. Kei wasn’t sure when he started valuing Kuroo’s opinions more than the average coworker. _Maybe,_ Kei thought to himself, _It’s time to admit that, to me, Kuroo is more than just the average coworker. I can do that much, right?_

Before he could finish that thought, he was interrupted by the call to serve.

The match was close, but the Owls took the set with a 3 point lead. As the third set began, the Crows immediately got the first point from a successful block from Tendou. They sang happily at the point, spinning around and pointing at Tsukishima in jest.

The Owls were still doing well after that until Bokuto was blocked three times in a row.

“It’s useless,” he lowered his head melodramatically. “Akaashi, I think…”

“Bokuto-san. I would like to continue setting to you.” Akaashi lowered his head in a slight bow, holding eye contact with the glum-looking coach. “I think we can turn this around if we break through their blocks. Tendou-san is too inconsistent to keep this up. They’re going to misread one of us, and when that happens, we can take back the set.” He lifted his head back up, now looking more confident. “If you want me to give you a break from spiking for a few plays, though, I’m sure we can all handle it.”

“How do you know what I’m thinking so often?” Bokuto laughed, still a little sad looking. He ran his hands through his hair. “Okay, okay, we can work from here. I might need a few plays to cool off, but here’s what we should do…”

They followed Bokuto’s plan perfectly. Though he was an impulsive and passionate coach, he really did have a mind for plays. Tsukishima was at the serve, and he made sure to aim for Ushijima each time, to distract him from preparing to spike. This slowed his reaction time, causing his spike’s to lower in power. Thus, they received them more consistently. The second part of the plan involved Sugawara facing Tsukishima, as if he were to set to him, and surprising the enemy team with a spike from either Kuroo or Asahi. Suga was even able to set to Akaashi, who spiked it for a hard won point. They were gaining momentum, ahead by 2 points and nearing 20.

It was around this time in the match that Bokuto got back into the swing of the match. He was a monster when he was in the right mood. Akaashi and Sugawara both managed to set quicks to him, and his straight had a high chance of success. Tsukishima also scored some points himself, from blocks and feints. He was always a fan of a good feint, especially when they seemed to annoy the shit out of Tendou.

Before they knew it they were five points ahead, at match point. Tsukishima took a deep breath. He was on the back line, inexplicably tense. In high school. He never really found a reason to care - to really care about a match. And yet, here he was, filled with anticipation and dread at thought of this rec match’s outcome. He wanted to say that he had won this game. Somehow, this win mattered to him. Maybe it was the potential to share a victory with his coworkers - with Kuroo -

He stopped thinking, as it was giving him a headache.

It was Oikawa’s serve. _Shit._

The lithe professor tossed the ball once, twice, until finally tossing it up for a jump serve. He slammed the ball with considerable force, aiming near Tsukishima. Grunting in exertion, Tsukishima managed to touch the ball, but it flew into the bleachers. Damn.

“We’ll get it next time!” Akaashi assured Kei.

“Don’t mind!” Suga called over.

Oikawa slammed another serve their way, this time aiming between Asahi and Kuroo. They almost collided before hesitating and letting the ball slide past.

“Shit,” Kei heard Suga curse. “Serves have always been his specialty.”

“I can definitely tell,” Tsukishima grit his teeth bitterly.

Oikawa sent another serve flying, this time near the mid-right of the court. Akaashi dove after it wearing a face of sheer determination. Thankfully, he managed to keep the ball in the air.  
“Suga-san!” he shouted, jumping back up to follow the ball.

“Right!” Suga replied, getting in position for the toss. The blockers, Daichi and Ushijima, stuck to the right. Tsukishima shot forward, on the left and jumped high.

“Suga!” he shouted, adrenaline rushing in his veins.

The toss was before him, and he felt time slow indefinitely. He was over the block, they were too slow to catch up to him. Mercilessly, he swung his hand down and felt it connect to the ball. It shot downward, just over the block, behind the front line blockers.

And that was that. They had won.

“Woooooooooooh!!” Bokuto screamed, waving his arms. “Hey, hey, hey! That wasn’t so bad, Tsuki!”

“Please don’t call me that.” Tsukishima muttered, although he knew Bokuto ignored him.

“Hey, great job!” Kuroo said, approaching him from the right. He wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and walked with him to the bench. “ You did so well! That final spike was amazing!” Tsukishima just looked away, still unsure of how to react to Kuroo’s praise. “Y’know,” The black-haired man continued with a coy smile, “I was going to get some drinks after this if you want to join.”

Tsukishima gulped nervously before answering. He didn’t want a repeat of their first night together, and he didn’t quite trust himself tonight.

“Maybe some other time.” He said finally. Kuroo just nodded and left go of his shoulders. Tsukishima immediately missed his warmth.

“I’m holding you to that raincheck!” Kuroo said with a bright smile.

“Yeah, yeah” Tsuki knelt to tie his shoe laces again, trying to think of something other than Kuroo’s smile. As Tsukishima got up to leave, he heard Bokuto shouting at Hinata about a week’s worth of drinks, and the tiny coach groan in response. He just smirked, and laughed to himself, thinking that the day was more fun than he thought it’d be.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama is also a coach, but doesn't play because he had to referee. He wanted to, but Bokuto and Hinata insisted that he would've provided an unfair advantage as a player.
> 
> Also you may have noticed the way that Bokuto plays here is a little different from how he plays in the anime/manga, especially his dynamic with Akaashi. I just wanted to write him a little more mature, because this AU he is an older volleyball coach. By this time in his development as a volleyball player, I think he would have a more mature reaction to the "dejected mode" we see in the anime. Also, Akaashi is looking after him in a similar way that he does in the anime/manga, but because they haven't known each other for long, Bokuto is impressed by how well he can understand him. I wrote it like this bc I love BokuAka and it made sense from my perspective.


	6. Night Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to pick up from the slow pace ! I really loved writing this chapter. There's light angst ahead - you've been warned.

_I couldn't spill my heart_   
_My eyes gleam looking in from the dark_   
_I walk out in stormy weather_   
_Hold my words, keep us together_   
_Steady walking but bound to trip_   
_Should release but just tighten my grip_

\- Night Time, the xx

  
Kuroo leaned onto his hand, sighing. It was his last shift at the library, and even though he had just clocked in, he hoped his shift would end soon. It seemed that the time dragged on more with each additional shift he worked.  Two circulation assistants were still out, so he was asked to stay on the schedule for an another week.

“Tired of carrying books?” His coworker, Yaku, asked, an understanding smiled on his lips. Kuroo just nodded, a little lost in thought. The reference librarian had been the one to ask him to stay on the schedule, even though he knew the semester was catching up with the tired professor. Kuroo was putting off his grading to pitch in help, but he’d have to recognize his own limits soon.

It hadn’t helped that he was missing a particular blonde professor’s presence in his life. He had seen him around, but it was only at work, in passing. They had a great time together at the sports day. He swore that Tsukishima smiled more that day than all the other times he’d seen him. Well, except for that night.. Kuroo gulped nervously. What if Tsukishima still regretted that night? Even after he found out how nothing really happened - aside from Tsukishima charming Kuroo and solidifying his already embarrassing crush on him - the tall blonde seemed uncomfortable around Kuroo from time to time. He could just have trust issues, or be standoffish, or just not interested in Kuroo in that way. He probably only talked to Kuroo at the wedding for so long because he was bored and there was no one else to talk to-

Kuroo’s train of thought was broken by a tall professor - the very same that was muddling his thoughts - strolling towards the door from the study area. He hesitated, grimaced, and stood at the door, something obviously bothering him. Even though he was just questioning their every interaction, Kuroo left the circulation desk to go figure out what was bothering him.

“Hey Kuroo, you’re on the desk, right?” Yaku asked him with a note of sternness.

“It’s something important, I promise I’ll be back soon!” Kuroo called over his shoulder apologetically. He saw Yaku nod, his eyes serious, and turned to Tsukishima. The professor had noticed him by now. He looked uncomfortable but Kuroo didn’t think it had anything to do with him.

“Hey Tsuki,” Kuroo greeted him happily. He came to a stop, giving Tsukishima a decent amount of space. He had learned that the blonde valued room to breathe, and he wanted to help him relax instead of just worsening his anxiety. “I didn’t see you come in. I just got on shift, so I guess you came in earlier?”

“Yeah,” the blonde nodded.

“Grant proposal?”

“Yeah.” This time, it was a tired sigh. Kuroo sympathized with the professor. He knew how grueling research could be for grant proposals.

“Is something bothering you?” Kuroo pressed, holding Tsukishima’s gaze. He could tell by the way Tsuki’s hand tightened on his briefcase that he’d guessed correctly - something was clearly upsetting him.

“I…” he began slowly. “I forgot my umbrella.” Kuroo realized his tone was not that of annoyance, but embarrassment. “And I have a lecture in 20 minutes in the physical sciences building.” A glance outside confirmed to Kuroo that the heavy downpour of rain that had greeted him half an hour ago on his way to the library was still flooding the campus. Kuroo paused for a moment, studying Tsuki's sheepish expression, and then nodded decisively.

“Give me a moment, I’ll be right back!”

“Kuroo! What are you doing?”

“Just trust me, will you?”

Kuroo returned with a large black umbrella, to Tsuki’s chagrin. Despite Tsukishima’s protests, he insisted on walking him to his lecture.

“Didn’t you just get to work?” Tsukishima asked sternly.

“I’m entitled to a break” Kuroo replied cheekily, placing a hand on his chest. “And I promised to buy Yaku coffee later so he’d get off my back.” Tsukishima glanced back, observing the grumpy librarian from a distance.

“Fine,” he sighed. “Let’s go. I don’t want to be late.”

Kuroo nodded and followed him out the door. He quickly opened his umbrella and made space for his tall companion under its cover. “So is the research going well?”

“It’s going.” Tsukishima huffed, sounding weary. “I want to reassess a common component of evolutionary theory regarding maniraptoran theropods evolving into birds.” Kuroo blinked, thinking about how cute Tsuki looked when he talked about dinosaurs. “A lot of the current theory is based in evidence from the Mesozoic era-” Tsukishima noticed him staring. “What?”

“You just looked very focused and intelligent,” Kuroo sputtered, trying to to keep a straight face. _You also looked adorable,_ he thought to himself. “Anyways, go on, I’m interested now!”

Tsukishima paused, then continued his explanation, even going as far to outline his theory and specific bits of evidence. Kuroo was so engaged, he didn’t realize that they were at the physical sciences building until Tsukishima turned to him, with a face that looked like he was preparing a farewell.

“Ah, Tsuki,” Kuroo said quickly, before he had to hear those words. “You know, I could help you with your grant proposal, if you wanted.”

“What could you help me with? Do you also study paleontology?” He quirked his eyebrow, sarcasm dripping from his words.

“I could help you organize it, type it, and edit it for any grammatical or spelling errors.” Kuroo elaborated, undeterred. “A second set of eyes couldn’t hurt.”

Tsukishima regarded him for a moment before conceding. “I suppose you’re right. Would you like to come over sometime this week?”

Kuroo tensed up at the phrase “come over” - as in come over to Tsuki’s place? He really wanted to see Tsukishima’s apartment.  He tried to play it off without obviously reacting however, still wary of making Tsukishima nervous.

“Yeah sounds good!” he barked, still surprised as Tsukishima’s acceptance. He was sure he was going to decline his offer. “I’ll text you my schedule and we can work out a time to meet up.”

“Okay, see you later then,” Tsukishima waved lightly, heading into the building. Kuroo lingered, watching his back receding, before turning away himself, headed back to the library. The lecture he got from Yaku upon his return was completely worth it.  
  


* * *

 

 

Kuroo was fidgeting, standing outside of Tsukishima’s apartment complex. He had yet to text him that he was there. In fact, he was fifteen minutes early, and was currently struggling internally over whether or not he should contact him. They had both agreed to meeting at 7pm, after dinner so they could focus on working. Kuroo had brought his own laptop, along with two small cupcakes (a chocolate one for himself, and a strawberry one for Tsuki). It was the first time they were hanging out outside of the university since the night of the wedding and he wanted to make a good impression. It had taken a while for them to be comfortable enough to for this sort of thing to happen - seeing each other outside of work seemed to toe the boundary of the friendship they had developed so far. Kuroo sighed. He was really afraid of messing it all up.

His ringtone jolted him out of his thoughts. He hurriedly pulled it out and looked in confusion at the caller id. He wasn’t late. Why was Tsukishima was calling him?

“Why are you standing outside of my apartment like a creep?” Kuroo stiffened, but then realized Tsuki’s voice was teasing. 

“I didn’t want to bother you, even if I was early arriving.” He explained. “How did you know?”

“I glanced out of my window. I’d recognize that bedhead anywhere.”

Kuroo groaned. “Would you just come down to let me in already? It’s not like I have access to your apartment.”

“Right, right” Tsukishima said before hanging up. Kuroo sensed the hint of laughter in his words and tried not to smile.  
  


* * *

 

 

“Here, you should rephrase it.”

“What do you suggest?”

“Talking in the passive voice, even if it’s for a scientific paper, distracts from the point you’re trying to communicate. Here, when you rewrite it like this,” Kuroo quickly typed out an edited sentence on Tsukishima’s laptop, “It becomes more straightforward.”

Tsukishima read over the new sentence and grunted in approval. They had been editing for a few hours now. Kuroo was almost through the entire grant proposal draft. He had first helped Tsukishima organize his research into accessible sections, and then dove into the more technical edits to grammar, phrasing, and spelling. He was beginning to doze off, even though he knew it was just past ten, and he shouldn’t be this tired this quickly. He supposed it was the exhaustion of mid-semester stress, coupled with the additional weariness of working extra shifts at the library for almost three weeks when he had only promised one.

He stifled a yawn and pushed through to the next page.

“Are you tired?” Tsukishima asked, looking up from his work. He was on the other side of the coffee table, papers from various studies and sources spread out in hectic piles before him. He was a surprisingly chaotic researcher. Kuroo had always thought he would be more organized when it came to compiling information.

“Maybe just a little,” Kuroo admitted, as he breathed out another yawn. “I think some sugar will pick me up. Want your snack too?” Tsukishima nodded, a small smile on his lips. Kuroo heaved himself up and stretched luxuriously, raising his long arms over his head in a refreshing arc. He heard his back crack and sighed, feeling more awake already. He notice that Kei’s face held a shadow of a grimace. “What?”

“You’re like a cat,” he muttered, turning away. “Also, cracking your back is gross.”

“Is it really? What, you like dinosaur bones, but mine gross you out?” Kuroo smirked, leaning down to tease Tsuki. The blonde lobbed a pillow at him from the couch.

“Go away and get my food,” Tsukishima grumbled, focusing again on his research sources.

Kuroo smirked as he walked to Tsukishima’s fridge. “Oh my! I help you with this research, out of the kindness of my heart and what do I get in return?” He mimicks Tsukishima’s voice as he continues, “‘Go away and get my food,’. How ungrateful!” he lamented melodramatically, glancing to see if he got a reaction out of the blonde.

“Just get on with it before I kick you out,” Tsukishima said in exasperation from across the room.

“Fine, fine,” Kuroo opened the fridge and pulled out the cupcakes, bringing them over to where Tsukishima sat. He plopped down beside him and offered the strawberry treat. The blonde mumbled thanks as he took it.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment while they each took a bite. It was Kuroo who began talking again.

“Are you doing anything this Friday?” He asked casually.

“Not after work, no.” Tsukishima said nonchalantly. “Why?”

“It’s Bokuto’s birthday, and he wanted to hang out with people. We were all going to meet at my place and play games and stuff. Would you want to come along too?”

“I don’t know Bokuto-san that well,” Tsukishima admitted, lowering his gaze.

“He actually asked me to invite you,” Kuroo clarified, watching Tsukishima’s reaction. The blonde perked up, looking a little surprised.

“Seriously?” he asked.

“Yeah, he said he had fun with you at the sports day. He thought it would be fun to see you again.”

“Huh,” Tsukishima mused, lapsing to silence as he considered the decision. “I guess I could go. Would I have to bring a gift?”

“You can just bring a card or something. Bo isn’t that vapid. At least, not always,” Kuroo chuckled. “He only expects gift from me, Chibi-chan, and Kageyama-san probably.”

“I’d like to go then.” Tsukishima confirmed.

“Cool!” Kuroo tried to remain nonchalant, but his excitement leaked into his voice. “Uh, do you need my address?”

“Yeah, if you could text it to me that’d be fine.” Tsukishima replied, his tone flat and even.

“Anyways, I think I’m pretty much done editing your proposal for now.” Kuroo noted as he took another bite out of his cupcake. “It’s really shaping up. I think you’re going to do well with it.”

“Really?” Tsukishima queried, his eyes widening and focused on Kuroo. The intensity of his gaze left Kuroo struggling not to blush. He just nodded, trying to keep his expression neutral. Tsukishima continued, his voice softening. “I really want to get this grant.” he confided. “This is the kind of research I ‘ve wanted to do since getting here,” Kuroo supposed he meant the university, “and this grant is my first real chance at pursuing it.”

“I really hope you get it.” Kuroo voiced sincerely. He met Kei’s gaze softly, and swore that the blonde’s face reddened just a shade. He considered changing the tone of their night when Tsukishima abruptly stood up and walked to the kitchen.

“Need some water,” he muttered, almost incoherently. After he filled a glass and returned, he sat at the laptop, across from Kuroo. “Thanks for the help. It saved me a lot of grief.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

“It’s getting late,” Tsukishima began, and Kuroo immediately understood the direction of the conversation.

“Yeah,” he smiled, masking his disappointment. “I have a class in the morning. Should be heading out soon.”

“You’re ok to drive home?” Tsukishima asked softly. Kuroo convinced himself to ignore the concern he imagined in the other’s voice.

“I’m fine.” he finished his cupcake, and began packing up his own laptop and papers. “Thanks for having me over.” Kuroo tried to leave quickly and gracefully. He only allowed his face to break in the elevator, on the way down, when he was alone and able to feel the dread pressing down upon his chest without fear of Tsukishima noticing.

_Fuck. Shit. Fuck._

His fist tightened into a ball, and he was blinking back tears of frustration.

_Why is it so hard to be his friend?_

_Why do I want more?_

He wiped the tears angrily, and marched out of the elevator, tension holding his shoulders rigid.

He wasn’t sure if he was more pissed off at his circumstances or at himself, for being so selfish.

It was probably at his own worthless, selfish desires. The grip on his steering wheel didn’t loosen until he got home.


	7. Guest Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He didn’t know when Kuroo became such a calming person for him, but he was happy to be near him again. 
> 
> Of course, as friends, he assured himself. Friends who don’t flirt or spend the night on the other’s couch, or offer to let the other kiss them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: When I say a professor is a “volleyball game regular” in this chapter, it means that they attend the university volleyball games consistently. Most of Bokuto’s friends are either coaches on the volleyball team or professors that regularly show up to support the team. And then there’s Tsukishima. XD
> 
> Also fair warning, a lot of this chapter reflects my own taste in games and music. I choose to write about things that I like and things that I headcanon the characters to like. Sorry if my headcanons don’t match yours, or if you have different taste, but try to focus more on the character interactions and the emotion behind the scene if that is the case.

_We miss being ruffians, going wild and bright_   
_In the corners of front yards, getting in and out of cars_   
_We miss being deviants_

_They'll find us here_  
 _Here, here in the guest room_  
 _Where we throw money at each other and cry_  
\- Guest Room, The National

Tsukishima hesitated at the door, unsure whether to knock or just text Kuroo. He heard loud talking and banter from on the other side of the door, recognizing Bokuto’s and Hinata’s voice. _I thought I was early,_ he thought in annoyance. He gripped the birthday card in his hand a little more tightly as he lifted his fist and knocked the door quickly. The voices halted, he heard foot steps, and the door swung open. Instead of a smiling black haired man, however, he was met with two squawking birds of human beings. Bokuto and Hinata bounced happily, welcoming him in and patting him on the shoulder. Bokuto ruffled his hair playfully (although he had to stand up taller to reach Tsukishima’s head). Tsukishima just stiffened, muttering a hello and trying not to look too annoyed. As to be expected, he was failing at any efforts to conceal his disdain.

“Kuroo will be right back,” Bokuto explained, returning to the entertainment system. He appeared to be in the process of setting up a laptop via an HDMI cord. “He just went to grab the pizzas and pick up Kenma. We weren’t expecting people so soon.”

“I just left to walk over and ended up showing up a little sooner than expected,” Tsukishima huffed. Had he left early to try to have some time to himself and Kuroo before the rambunctious group had arrived? Probably, but he would never actually admit it to himself. Instead, he tried to relax his expression as he placed the card on the coffee table and took a seat on the couch.

“Anyways, happy birthday, Bokuto-san.” Tsukishima said, an agreeable tone tinging his usual monotonous voice. “How old are you turning?”

Bokuto heaved a deep sigh. “33.” He ran a hand through his hair. “AGH, I’m getting so old!” He cried, throwing his arms upwards melodramatically.

“Damn right you are, you geezer!’ Hinata shouted from the kitchen. He was organizing the alcohol. Tsukishima made a mental note to not drink tonight. “Make sure you get old so I can be main coach instead of you!”

“Coaches can be old!” Bokuto squawked indignantly.

“So for your 33rd birthday,” Tsukishima drawled, cutting between the two. “We’re eating pizza, sipping wine, and playing Mario Kart?” His gold eyes had landed on the game box, which was by the WiiU.

“When you say it like that, I don’t feel old at all!” Bokuto yelled cheerfully.

“I guess,” Tsuki conceded. He hoped that Kuroo would arrive soon. He wasn’t good with social interactions that lasted for more than five minutes, especially with people that he didn’t know well. He knew Kuroo well enough to hold a comfortable conversation with him, something that he currently felt like he had taken for granted. He realized that Kuroo’s friendship had helped him forget about his social anxiety in groups. As Bokuto and Hinata exchanged loud quips with each other in energetic banter, Tsukishima found himself intensely missing the messy haired man’s relaxing presence.

It took about ten minutes for the door to swing open, revealing Kuroo with his hands full of pizza boxes, and Kenma with a bag of extra game controllers for a variety of consoles. “Honey, I’m homeeee!” Kuroo jested loudly as he entered. He smiled at Bokuto, Hinata, and then his expression froze when it landed on Tsukishima. Kei saw the blush appear on his cheeks, and smirked.

“So,” he began, holding Kuroo’s gaze unflinchingly. He immediately switched gears from missing the professor to teasing him. “Which one of us does ‘honey’ refer to?”

“U-uh” Kuroo huffed, before remembering that he was holding 4 large pizza boxes and his arms were becoming very warm very quickly. He set them down before continuing. “All of you of course!” His response was lame, and both he and Kei knew it. Kenma let out a quiet snort at that, hiding his chuckle behind his hand.

Honey isn’t plural, Tsukishima wanted to press, but he let him be. Kuroo was looking red, and he wasn’t sure if it was because of his unexpected early arrival, or because of carrying pizzas up to his floor.

“Would you guys stop flirting for a second.” Kenma muttered, still smiling behind his hand as he approached Bokuto and Hinata at the entertainment center. “You’ve been in the same space for less than a minute.” This made Tsukishima’s face blush similarly to Kuroo’s. Before he had a chance to respond, to clarify, to say ‘No, we were not flirting!’, Kenma had began talking to Hinata and Bokuto about setting up the gaming systems. Tsukishima just dropped it, his gaze wandering back to Kuroo.

Feeling nervous, he stood up and fumbled with his hands before deciding to head towards Kuroo. “Do you need help with the food?” he asked, trying to restrain the anxiety pooling in his gut. He thought about how much he hated social interactions, especially those in a group.

When Kuroo’s eyes met his, Kei thought he saw understanding flash in the other’s expression. “Yeah, sure. I’m just putting some chips out and then I’ll be making guacamole. If you want to prepare some vegetables, that would be helpful.”

Kei just nodded, grateful to do something other than sit. He took counter on the other side of Kuroo and began dicing tomatoes. Kuroo handled the avocados and onions, peeling and slicing as he went. As they worked near each other, they bumped into each other occasionally. It felt like Tsukishima could tune out the loud bunch in the living room in favor of this shared quiet with Kuroo. He didn’t know when Kuroo became such a calming person for him, but he was happy to be near him again. Of course, as friends, he assured himself. Friends who don’t flirt or spend the night on the other’s couch, or offer to let the other kiss them.

Tsukishima was grimacing deeply when he vaguely heard Kuroo’s voice. “Tsuki? Are you okay?”

“U-uh, yeah” he nodded, returning to chopping the garlic. He realized he had spaced out and tried to play it off. “I’m fine.” he sighed. “Just a little nervous, I guess”.

“Well, if you need some space to be quiet, you’re welcome to use my room or take a breather outside. I could even go with you if you need it.” Kuroo offered with a casual tone. Tsukishima inhaled slowly, trying not to feel all of his emotions at once. Instead, he steadied his hand as it sliced up another garlic clove, and quietly thanked Kuroo. His response was only meant for the black haired professor, within their own calm bubble. They remained quiet for the rest of their time preparing the food. Kuroo hummed softly to himself, and Kei occupied himself by trying to recognize tune of the song. Kuroo’s voice was a welcome distraction.

As they prepared the food, more people began to arrive. Haiba Lev, a Russian professor and volleyball game regular, ran in as Kenma answered the door, hugging the slight computer science professor and swinging him in an arc. Akaashi Keiji, who Tsukishima recognized from the volleyball game, arrived much more calmly and quietly, something that the anxious blonde greatly appreciated. Bokuto wrapped his arms around Akaashi’s shoulders, leading him in and chatting happily. He was surprised to see that Akaashi had brought him a gift, and thanked him loudly. After Akaashi settled in, a sullen looking man with a black bowl cut arrived from the door, a small wrapped gift clutched in his hands. Hinata greeted him brightly, dragging him into the living room towards Bokuto. Tsukishima caught the man’s name as Kageyama and realized he was probably the other co-coach for the volleyball team.

Kageyama was accompanied by Daichi, another volleyball game regular. Tsukishima recognized him from Sugawara’s wedding, and from the volleyball team. He seemed like a generally relaxed person, which Tsukishima was grateful for. When he finished chopping vegetables and joined the loud group in the living room, he sat beside Daichi and made small talk. He found out that Daichi was a psychology, and had been Suga’s close friend since college. Daichi was showing him old pictures of Suga as his college roommate (and Tsukishima was laughing at Sugawara with long hair) when Hinata announced they were ready to begin mario kart.

Tsukishima decided to relax and watch the show, while Kuroo jumped at the opportunity to play with Kenma, Hinata, and Bokuto. They began a custom cup with 6 races at 200cc on random. Tsuki laughed when he saw Kuroo choose Cat Peach, because it was just so like him. Kenma chose Lemmy, while Bokuto went with Boo and Hinata chose Toad. After two races, it was very clear that Kenma was going to place first. Kuroo and Bokuto were vying for second, while Hinata consistently placed in 6th and 7th.

While they played, Tsukishima made more small talk with Daichi and Akaashi, who were both much more calm than their friends.

“So you two teach at the University as well?” Akaashi asked, sipping a glass of white wine.

“Yes, I teach geology at an undergraduate level and paleontology at a graduate level.” Tsukishima informed lightly.

“I teach undergraduate psychology,” Daichi added. “And you?”

“Undergraduate literature, usually anything dating from Ancient to 1800.” Akaashi explained briefly. “It’s good work.”

“Yeah, it sounds interesting,” Daichi said genuinely. As he spoke, his pocket vibrated, and he quickly pulled out his phone to look at a text. In a glance, Tsukishima caught the contact name “Sweet Suga” from his phone screen. Deciding to mind his own business, Tsukishima turned back to Akaashi.

“So do you play volleyball recreationally?” Tsukishima asked, remembering how well the man had played during their game.

“Actually, I haven’t played consistently since middle school,” he admitted, an embarrassed smile on his lips.

“Really?” Tsuki was surprised. He had returned to the sport as if he had never left.

“Well I practiced a few times with Bokuto-san before the game, because I wanted to refamiliarize myself with the drills and plays.” the raven said sheepishly. “We were even able to practice a makeshift quick attack. I’m glad it worked out in the game.”

“That quick wasn’t makeshift!” Bokuto piped up from where he sat, eyes still on the race. “It was an awesome quick because you’re awesome at setting!”

Akaashi just looked away and dropped the subject, although Kei thought he looked vaguely pleased.

Daichi quickly stood up, looking distressed. “I, uh, have to head out. Family emergency.” Tsukishima felt worry gather in his stomach. Was Suga ok? He considered asking Daichi or texting Suga himself, but decided against it. He wasn’t one to meddle, and if Suga needed his help, he would’ve contacted him. Daichi hurried over to the door and slipped on his shoes. “I’m sorry Bokuto-san. I’ll see you later. Happy Birthday!”

The group paused their game of Mario Kart to say goodbye to Daichi, who left as quickly as he could manage without appearing rude. Everyone continued their games and banter after Daichi rushed out the door, but Tsukishima couldn’t help but worry.

The group finished their race with Kenma taking a merciless first place, while Bokuto was in second, Kuroo was in fourth, and Hinata was in fifth. Kuroo passed his controller over to Lev, who was bouncing next to him in excitement on the couch. The black haired man stood up and walked to where Tsukishima sat, next to Akaashi. “Would you two be interested in playing something else?”

Tsukishima quirked his eyebrow. “Like what?”

“Well, I have overwatch on the PC in my room, if you wanted to try it.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

“Isn’t it better than sitting around staring at a screen?” Kuroo asked, his voice amused and playful.

Tsukishima sighed. “Fine, but I’m warning you. I don’t do well with new things. I’ll probably suck at the game.”

“That’s okay!” Kuroo then turned to Akaashi. “And you?”

“Fine with whatever.” Akaashi said, following Kuroo and Tsukishima into Kuroo’s room.

Tsukishima realized that this was his first time in the professor’s room. It was on the smaller side, a little cluttered with loose clothes, stacks of books, and graded papers. The walls held a few posters of bands and movies (Tsukishima noted a poster of the red hot chili peppers and mentally nodded in approval) and various pictures of other people. Tsukishima saw a picture of Kenma and Kuroo from their college days. Kuroo’s face looked round and cute in those days. His hair was shorter then, and he had stubble. Tsukishima also saw pictures of him with people he didn’t recognize, family members most likely. He noticed a polaroid of Kuroo and Bokuto and smiled at their dorky faces.

Then Kei’s eyes landed on a pile of records in the corner of the room, and his mind went blank for a second.

“Can I look at your records?” Tsukishima asked, clearly trying to strangle his tone into something neutral. His voice came out weirdly mixed with excitement, and he grimaced as he heard Kuroo’s response.

“Oho, found something you like?” Kuroo asked slyly, at his desk turning on his computer.

“Not really,” Tsukishima crossed his arms. “Never mind.”

“No, no by all means, go ahead and check it out.” Kuroo insisted, now seated at his desktop. “I can just show Akaashi the game while you look.”

“I own overwatch.” Akaashi said in a dead-pan tone. Kuroo looked at him in confusion. “Why didn’t you say so?”

“You never asked.”

“Well you can still bring it up!”

“I didn’t feel the need”

Kuroo just sighed. “Alright, ok. Well, at least trade your tag with me. You can play with Bokuto, Kenma, and I sometime.” Akaashi obliged, leaning over to type his tag into the textbox.

While they began the game and traded remarks about the different characters, Tsukishima tentatively started browsing Kuroo’s record collection. He was pleased to find a few old classics there, like Elton John, the New Radicals, and Queen. Most of it was contemporary though. A lot of western bands, mostly alternative rock and indie music. He laughed, thinking that Kuroo had typical hipster taste in music. Then again, so did he, as all of these bands were in Tsukishima’s own music library and record collection. He noticed the vinyl for “Trouble Will Find Me” and “Terrible Love” by the National, and realized that Kuroo must really like that band, since the band t-shirt that Tsuki had borrowed from all that time ago was also merch from that group. He noticed a record by Less than Jake, deciding that ska was a fitting genre for the professor. Bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Band of Horses, Arcade Fire, The Revivalists, and alt-j also filled his collection. He was initially surprised to see music from Troye Sivan there as well, but decided that the emotional sound suited Kuroo pretty well.

As he reached the end, he noticed that Kuroo owned every vinyl released by the xx. Slightly impressed, as he knew how hard it was to get vinyls consistently, he examined them. They were in very good quality. Kuroo took care of them well. The thought made Tsukishima a little happy. Satisfied, he stood up and joined Akaashi and Kuroo at the desktop.

“What’s the verdict?” Kuroo asked playfully, turning to meet gazes with Tsukishima.

“You have good taste.” he conceded. “And you take good care of the records you have. I’m a little impressed.”

“Oh, Tsuki such kind words!” Kuroo exclaimed happily.

“I’m still here.” Akaashi said bluntly, clicking carefully and quickly on the computer. His fingers tapped the keys with a purpose, as he played as a buff woman with pink hair and a laser cannon. He released his ultimate and snagged 5 of the enemy team in it, allowing his other teammate to get a quintuple kill with their ultimate.

“Damn, you’re good at Zarya.” Kuroo said, reverence clear in his words. “I play tank, but I could never get the hang of her.”

“It takes time and experience,” Akaashi admitted, dispatching a shot of his laser weapon at another enemy. Tsukishima guessed he was at a high power level, because the enemy character was quickly killed.

“What characters do you play, Kuroo?” Tsukishima asked, casually. He probably wouldn’t understand the answer, but he wanted to hear Kuroo talk more.

“I mostly play Pharah. She’s this awesome attack hero! Comes with rockets and a suit that lets her fly around. She’s super powerful!” Kuroo spoke energetically, obviously excited about the game. He gestured wildly as he continued. “I also play Junkrat, who is like this wild Australian guy with bombs!”

“You seem to like explosions.” Tsukishima deadpanned, a little amused.

“You catch on quick! Yeah, I like explosive dps.” The acronym flew over Kei’s head, but he felt like it had to do with dealing damage. “I also play tanks sometimes. There’s this character called D.Va that I like to play too. She has a huge mech with rockets and her whole deal is that she’s a Korean pro-gamer who was drafted into the military as a pilot because of her great hand-eye coordination. I love her so much!” Kuroo sighed holding his face. Tsukishima thought the image was really funny. That was why he smiled. Kuroo may have also looked adorable, but that wasn’t why Tsukishima smiled. At all.

“Other than D.Va, I’ll play Roadhog and a little bit of Winston.” Kuroo continued, calming down a bit. Tsukishima nodded, and turned to the game. Akaashi had started another match. He was playing as a large German knight with a shield and hammer.

“Isn’t this game meant to be held in the future?” Tsukishima asked in confusion.

“It’s Blizzard games.” Akaashi sighed. “No matter what game they make, they put as much fantasy in it as possible.”

“Huh,” Tsukishima watched the game more closely now, noticing a quick character on both the opposing team and Akaashi’s team. “What character is that? With the sound gun?”

“Oh, that’s Lucio!” Kuroo dove into a character explanation that left Kei a little confused. He was able to grasp that the character was a support hero who aided his allies by switching between music tracks.

“I want to play as him.” Tsukishima said, his tone even but his eyes shining with excitement. He knew that the hero’s powers were gimmicky, but also playing a DJ with healing powers was the perfect character archetype for Tsukshima.

“This game is basically over. You can take over.” Akaashi offered the seat at the computer to him. Tsukishima cautiously sat down and waited at the loading screen. At the character select screen, he was a little overwhelmed at all of the options. He scrolled until he found the happy looking DJ and locked in as him. The rest of his team looked ok. Kuroo groaned when someone locked in as Sombra and another locked in as Widowmaker. He wasn’t really sure why, but apparently they were lesser picked characters.

It took a few minutes Tsukishima to get his bearings, but luckily Lucio was a forgiving character for beginners. He managed to heal fairly well for his first time, and his team even managed to win the game. He let out a long sigh of relief after it ended, then stood up. “I need a break.”

“Did you not like it?” Kuroo asked with concern.

“No, I liked it. It’s just a lot going on.” Tsuki clarified, walking over to sit on Kuroo’s bed. The bed was covered in a black and grey plaid comforter with a red throw blanket folded at its corner. Kuroo just nodded and took his place at the PC.

Before he could begin another game, they heard screaming from the main room. Upon further investigation, it’s cause was revealed to be Hinata, who was playing Splatoon for the first time and was extremely overwhelmed. Tsukishima, Kuroo, and Akaashi returned to the main room, laughing at the orange haired boy as he kept on dying to blasts of ink.

 

* * *

 

 

Tsukishima sighed to himself, gathering the used paper plates and empty wine glasses. Time with Kuroo seemed to pass so quickly. It was almost midnight. The other people had left - first Kenma and Hinata, then Lev, Kageyama, and finally Bokuto and Akaashi. He had stayed and offered to help Kuroo clean up, which his friend had accepted graciously.

Now Kuroo was on the other side of the apartment, washing dishes. Kei wasn’t sure why, but he felt distant. He had stopped holding his gaze as the night dragged on. Tsukishima wondered if he had noticed his avoidance of alcohol. He wondered if Kuroo still felt guilty about that night.

Maybe clearing the air would do them both some good.

“Hey, Kuroo,” he began, immediately regretting his decision as Kuroo glanced up, a little surprised. “Er, remember the first time I was here?” He tried to sound light, but he just felt awkward.

Kuroo’s face softened into something more relaxed, which in turn calmed Kei. “Yeah, of course.”

“I told you I wouldn’t sleep with you, right?” Tsukishima continued, still feeling anxiety in the pit of his stomach. If I’m going to tell him, might as well be now, he thought.

“Yeah, it seems kind of funny in hindsight,” Kuroo laughed. “Why, what’s up?” He could tell that Kei had something to say. The black-haired professor turned off the water in the sink, replaced the sponge on the counter, and wiped his hands off on a dish towel. He began to walk towards Tsukishima, who was internally panicking. What do I do with this trash, I don’t want to say it with my hands full of dirty dishes and paper plates-

“Need a hand?” Kuroo asked politely, offering his help. Tsukishima passed him the dirty glasses, and walked toward the trash can to deposit his paper plates. He sighed and turned to face Kuroo, who was eyeing him curiously.

“I usually don’t talk about this with people.” Tsukishima admitted, fidgeting with his hands as he spoke.

“Uh, do you want to sit down?” Kuroo offered meekly, sounding nervous himself. Tsukishima nodded, and they headed towards the couch. As they sat, Tsukishima left little distance between the two of them. His thigh was touching Kuroo’s, his shoulders near the other’s. He sought some type of comfort, and Kuroo’s warm indirect touch gave him that. He found the courage to speak, somehow.

“I’m demisexual.” He said quietly. He didn’t meet Kuroo’s gaze, and instead just spoke more, feeling the need to explain himself. “So I don’t have sex with someone unless we share a deep emotional connection. And even then, if I’m with someone in a relationship, and I love them deeply, my attraction comes and goes. So, um, that night, when you were chatting me up at the bar and offered to take me home..” he sighed. “One night stands are terrifying for me. Especially if I’m intoxicated and I don’t know the person well. I hate not being in control. I hate thinking that I may have done things that I didn’t want, with someone that I didn’t love.” He sighed again, this time more deeply. “Which is why, I was trying to be very clear about my intentions with you from the outset.” He finally met Kuroo’s eyes, and was surprised to find them wide with anguish.

“Tsukishima!” Kuroo finally said, his voice pained. “If I had known…. How uncomfortable you must have felt! I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. You didn’t know.” Tsukishima affirmed gently. “And we didn’t do anything that night that I regret. So it’s alright. I just thought I would tell you, so you understood my actions a bit more.”

Kuroo seemed to calm down at that. He returned Kei’s slight smile. “Thank you, Tsuki. I really appreciate you trusting me with this.” He then cocked his head slightly. “I am curious about one thing though.”

“Huh?”

“What genders are you attracted to? Or does it not really matter? I’m just curious honestly.” Kuroo questioned lightly.

“Oh,” Tsukishima chuckled. “Um, I’m into men. Homoromantic, I think it’s called.”

Kuroo waved his hand dismissively. “I’m not a huge fan of labels, even if they are good at summing things up.”

“Well, what about you? I told you my sexuality, now it’s your turn.” Tsuki urged him, half-jokingly.

“I told you, I don’t really like labels,” Kuroo started. “But if I had to describe it, it’s like, I just fall for people, y’know? Gender isn’t really a big factor for me. If I love someone, that’s that.”

“Oooh, how romantic,” Kei teased, elbowing him softly in the side. “Y’know they have a label for that one too. It’s called pansexual.”

“Call it what you want,” Kuroo scoffed cheekily. Tsukishima met eyes with him, and noticed a bit of tenderness in his gaze. He decided that he was imagining it.

“A-anyways,” Tsukishima said in a very different, much colder tone. “I think I should head out soon.”

“Yeah, sure.” Kuroo smiled, but the warmth faded from his eyes. Or maybe Kei was just seeing what he was feeling himself . “It’s a bit late though. Are you sure that you don’t want to sleep on my couch? I won’t make you breakfast in the morning this time, in case it scares you off again.”

Kei felt a pang of guilt, simultaneously for ditching Kuroo and his cooking that morning, and for what he said next. “No, it’s okay. I can manage the walk home. It’s not far.”

“I could drive you, if you wanted.” Kuroo offered, turning away from Kei. Tsukishima wondered if this was his way of giving him space.

“I suppose that would be ok.” Tsukishima finally relented.

The pair both stood up at the same time, and Tsukishima immediately took a step back to put some distance between him and Kuroo. He hadn’t realized how close he’d gotten to the other man until he nearly bumped heads with him just a moment ago.

Kei slipped on his shoes, and waited for Kuroo by the door. After some fumbling for his keys, the two departed to the parking garage across the street from Kuroo’s apartment. The two were mostly quiet, idle conversation filling the space between them.

On the drive over, they chatted about work, research, classes. Kuroo inquired about the grant proposal. Tsukishima said that he would be submitting it soon, which he was thankful for. They pulled to the curb before Tsukishima’s apartment, he felt, a little too soon. Nevertheless, he sighed, and thanked Kuroo for the ride. His friend grinned in response and told him good night. Tsukishima turned away, walking towards his apartment building.

He couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied, like he should have taken Kuroo up on his offer to spend the night. He shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was just tired. Boundaries were in place for a reason, he reminded himself. He may have begun to accept his own feelings, but acting on them was a completely different matter.


	8. A Violent Noise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news: there is some oiten, some platonic/supportive Kuroken, a kurotsuki birthday date??:D  
> Bad news: there is a little something to do with the plot pls don't be mad @ me I felt so bad writing this mess. 
> 
> I'm sorry that the update is a week late! I have been so busy :/ I'm juggling a night job and an internship with a full class schedule. Also, I'm running a D&D campaign, so I have to plan for that throughout the week. I'm a fool who has made themselves too busy this fall XD
> 
> Please bear with me on this one. I wanted to write about Tsuki's birthday since it is just after Bokuto's. I will say, however, that this chapter is a bit surprising...maybe a little bit of a rollercoaster...I don't want to spoil it, but also don't be mad at me for the ending @-@ (I love all of you who read this, thank you so much!!)

_How could eyes this wide_   
_Lose sight of a world outside?_   
_I've looked away, cowardice_

_With every kiss from a friend_   
_With everything I pretend not to feel_

_Am I too high? Am I too proud?_  
 _Is the music too loud... for me to hear?_  
\- Violent Noise, the xx

 

Kuroo was wandering near the science department again. He was missing Kei, if he was honest with himself, and he had a break between lectures. It had seemed like the perfect opportunity to see the grumpy professor.

As he neared the lounge, he noticed a tall figure beside a slightly shorter one, walking down the hall towards him. Instead of a tall blonde, however, it was a tall red head. And beside that redhead-

“Oikawa-san?” Kuroo exclaimed, more than a little surprised to see him so far out of department. He was a workaholic who rarely left the Journalism department.

“Nice to see you too Kuroo-san.” He managed to keep a steady voice, but Kuroo sensed something waver in his gaze - fatigue? He wasn’t sure. Oikawa was putting up a front, that much he was sure.  His hair wasn't as neat and curly as usual, but messy, as if he hadn't found the time to comb it this morning. Beside Oikawa, Tendou Satori waved with a smirk.

“Aw, I don’t get a greeting like that?” Tendou jested in mock offense. “Like a ‘Tendou-san, what are you doing here?’” They mockingly mimicked Kuroo’s voice with a trill, throwing their hands to their face to convey a shocked expression.

“You work in this department.” Kuroo retorted dismissively. He turned back to Oikawa. “What are you doing here?”

“You’re not the only humanities professor that knows someone in the science department.” Oikawa sighed. “And I’m just taking a walk to relax. Classes have been rough lately and all.” Kuroo could tell there was some truth in that statement, and decided to leave Oikawa be. “Anyways, why are you hanging around here? Since I have to explain myself.”

“Oh, well-” Kuroo was debating whether to make up an excuse when he was interrupted.

“It’s probably to see Tsuki-chan!” Tendou guessed with creepy accuracy. “I’m right, right?”

Kuroo just nodded, averting his gaze. “I’ve been helping him edit his grant proposal.”

“Oooh, well I think you just missed him.” Tendou said. “He left a few minutes ago with Yamaguchi-san. I think they were getting lunch.”

Kuroo just nodded again, regretting this excursion as he did so. “Well, if that’s the case, I should get going.”

“Wait, before you go,” Tendou called, gesturing for him to come back. “Just between you and me, grumpy glasses has his birthday this weekend. I thought you’d like to know, since you two are well-uh,” Tendou paused before winking with a smirk.

“I’m not to going to grace that last part with a reply.” Kuroo muttered, annoyed. “But how do you know his birthday?”

“Well, I like knowing people’s birthdays. I check up on their horoscopes sometimes.” Tendou rubbed the back of their head bashfully.

“You teach science and you believe in the zodiac?” Oikawa asked incredulously, a genuine smile gracing his features.

“Hey, you believe in aliens, so we’re even!” Tendou snapped back jokingly.

“There’s so much evidence for it! Remember what I told you about the New Mexico Moon conspiracy??” Oikawa was about to begin an alien rant again, and Kuroo didn’t have the time for it.

“That still doesn’t tell me how you know Tsukishima’s birthday.” Kuroo redirected the conversation, meeting eyes with Tendou.

“Oh, well we have a staff calendar with everyone’s birthday on it!” Tendou explained. “Tsuki-chan erased his birthday a week after he started working here, once he realized it was publicly displayed. I had already seen it by then, though.” They tapped their temple lightly with their finger. “Once it’s in my head, I remember it near perfectly.” They sounded a little cocky.

“Ooooh, when’s my birthday then?” Oikawa teased them.

“July 20th, ” Tendou Satori said without missing a beat. “You sun sign is Cancer, though some  
would call you a Cancer-Leo cusp.” Oikawa just yelled ‘no way, how did you know!!’ to which Satori replied that they were friends on facebook, so of course they knew. As Kuroo walked away from them, Oikawa was quizzing Tendou on more coworker’s birthdays.

* * *

 

 

Kuroo returned to the science department after his early afternoon lecture. This time, he headed directly to Tsukishima’s office. Thankfully, the blonde professor was at his desk, cross-referencing two texts.

“Tsuki,” he said quietly from the door, so as not to startle his friend. The man lifted his gaze slowly and met Kuroo’s.

“Yes?”

“Why didn’t you tell me your birthday was this weekend?” Kuroo let himself smile, as he saw Tsukishima’s calm expression devolve into a grimace.

“Who told you?” he hissed, obviously annoyed.

“Hey, don’t worry. I’m not going to make a big deal out of it.”Kuroo broke his gaze. “And it was your friend, Tendou-san.”

Tsuki groaned. “We are definitely not friends.” He turned back to his books. “I don’t like people knowing about my birthday because I don’t like big occasions or surprises. And I really don’t like coworkers gossiping about me behind my back.” The last words were delivered with a particular venom that communicated Kei’s true annoyance to Kuroo.

“I’m sorry Tsuki.” He softened his voice, and took a tentative step forward. Tsukishima didn’t seem to tense up, so he walked forward again cautiously. “Tendou-san brought it up with me when I ran into him earlier today.”

“Where did you run into him?” Tsukishima asked, his tone indiscernible to Kuroo.

“I came by around lunch to see if you wanted to grab a bite to eat together.” Kuroo admitted truthfully. “But you weren’t around and I walked into Tendou-san and Oikawa-san.”

Tsukishima sighed. “I take it you want to do something to celebrate my birthday then? That’s why you brought it up, right?”

“I only wanted to see if you wanted to do something.” Kuroo continued sincerely. “Look, if birthdays aren’t your thing, we don’t have to do anything at all.”

Tsukishima mused for a moment before responding. “If you want to do something quiet, I could agree to that.” He lifted his head to meet Tetsurou’s eyes. “But I don’t like dealing with groups of people, so nothing like Bokuto’s party.”

Tetsurou nodded, feeling nervous. _So then, just you and me._ He wanted to say. He held his tongue. “How does Friday night, my place around 7pm sound? I could pick you up.”

“What, just dinner then?” Tsukishima asked, his signature smirk returning to his face.

“We could listen to my record collection.” Tetsurou offered.

“I’m in.” The quickness of Tsuki's reply made Kuroo laugh.

* * *

 

 

It was the day of, and Kuroo cancelled his Friday afternoon lecture to give him time to prepare. He spent the morning cleaning his apartment, making sure it was spotless. He mostly focused on the main area, and made sure to bring out his record player and a few of his favorite records. After some consideration, he pulled out a record by The National. It was one of their recent releases, “Trouble Will Find Me”. He put it aside, as an addition to his gift for Kei.

He had also bought Kei a long green dinosaur scarf. He hoped the blonde professor liked it. Aside from that, he had ordered a strawberry shortcake from a local bakery. He was going to leave for wrapping supplies, to pick up the cake, and then to pick up Kei. He didn’t think bringing the gifts with him would ruin the surprise, since they were wrapped and everything.

  
He checked the time on his phone and grimaced as it read 10:53 am. He had no idea what he was going to do to distract himself until 7pm. He didn’t want to show up early again and annoy Tsukishima with his clinginess. He sighed and texted Kenma.  After a reluctant reply, he headed to his friend's place for help.

Kuroo arrived at Kenma’s place with a bag of clothes, immediately tossing them onto the other’s bed. “Help me.” he whined.

“Why can’t you dress yourself, ever.” Kenma groaned. “I knew letting you come over was a mistake.” He plopped onto his bed, next to the haphazard mess of clothes. “You wrinkled like half of these outfits by stuffing them in the bag. You’re going to need to use my dryer.”

“Okay,” Kuroo nodded, biting his lip. “I’m just really nervous, Kenma. This is the first time he and I are having something remotely close to a date - like hanging out alone without any excuse for work or whatever. Just two people, hanging out…” he groaned, mussing up his hair. “Aggh, why am I so nervous! I’m so emotional over this!!”

“You’ve always been that way.” Kenma deadpanned. “You’re the type to care a lot like that. And you haven’t dated in forever, so it feels more intense because you forgot what crushes and all that stuff felt like.”

Kuroo carried a load of wrinkled shirts and pants to the dryer. He managed to open it and stuff them in, setting them on the wrinkle release cycle. “I think I’m gonna tell him about how I feel tonight.” Kuroo admitted as he rejoined Kenma by the bed.

“Good. It took you long enough.”

“You have no room to talk! You and Chibi-chan-”

“Have been dating for three weeks now.” Kenma cut him off, and Kuroo actually gaped at the shit-eating grin his friend wore.

“WHEN!?” Kuroo just screamed, now in complete shock. “HOW?! YOU DIDN’T TELL ME?!” He put his hand on his chest, actually sounding hurt.

“Kuroo, I don’t gossip. You didn’t ask. I don’t know why you’re so surprised.”

“S-so, the other day, at Bokuto’s pary??”

“Dating.”

“But he didn’t act like you were dating?!”

“Because I don’t like PDA in front of other people. And we talked about it. Like a couple. That communicates.” Kenma was just rubbing it in his face now. Kuroo huffed angrily.

“First Akaashi and Bokuto don’t tell me they started dating until four days after it happened. FOUR DAYS! And now you and Chibi-chan make me wait, what, weeks!?” Kuroo threw up his arms in exasperation. “Why do I even try?”

“Why do you like nosing into other people’s business?” Kenma asked impishly. Kuroo just ignored him.

“Whatever, help me find an outfit so I don’t die alone.”

“I’m not sure an outfit can save you from that fate.”

“Kenmaaaaaaaaaaaa”

* * *

 

 

Kenma helped Kuroo finally decide on a simple black wide neck tee. The sleeves ended just around his wrists, and apparently fit him well. When he had texted Bokuto a photo asking for his advice, the owl had replied that it ‘made his shoulders look hot’. He wasn’t sure what that meant, how shoulders could be hot, but he supposed it was acceptable.

He wore well-fitted grey pants with that. Kenma even let him borrow his iron for them, so he could smooth out the remaining wrinkles. Between a cardigan and a casual leather jacket, Kenma advised him to wear a dark grey cable knit cardigan. He said it made him look ‘mature’.

Kuroo just felt nervous. _Is anxiety mature,_ he mused to himself, as he tightly gripped the steering wheel. Tsukishima’s now wrapped birthday present sat on his back seat, beside a box that held Tsukishima’s favorite - strawberry shortcake. Kuroo was less than five minutes away from Tsuki’s apartment, and his heart was beating out of his chest.

He pulled slowly to the curb at 6:57pm. Early, again, he cursed internally. Before he could text Tsukishima, however, the blonde was walking nonchalantly out of his apartment lobby, towards Kuroo’s car. Kuroo quickly unlocked his doors, trying not to look surprised.

“You were waiting?” He asked as Tsuki opened the door and slid into his passenger seat.

As Tsukishima began to reply, his voice was lost in the echoing sirens of fire engines passing them on the road. Kuroo waited for them to pass before turning back to Tsukishima.

“I got ready and happened to finish early.” He turned away, crossing his arms bashfully. “I didn’t wait long.”

“Well, that’s good.” Kuroo wasn’t sure how to feel, so he just cranked the gear shift and pulled onto the road. “Happy Birthday, by the way. How old are you turning this year?”

“31.” Tsukishima responded curtly.

“Awww, you’re younger than me.” He laughed, making Tsukishima send him a glare. “I’m 32, turning 33 this year, so it’s not by much.”

“You don’t act any more mature than me, so it’s not like it makes a difference.” Tsukishima quipped steadily. Kuroo tried not to let it bother him, but the earlier conversation with Kenma about trying to look more mature only worsened the blow. He decided to change the subject.

“So how are your classes?” Kuroo asked, trying to focus his attention on the road. It had begun to rain, and the was full of deeply gray clouds.

“They are going well. I have some really bright students this semester…” he then sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “And some real pieces of work. I don’t want to overwhelm them with work, but I just wish students would take this discipline more seriously. It feels like they go into geology because they think it’s easier than physics or chemistry. Which isn’t the case, really.”

“Yeah, that seems tough to deal with as an instructor. You just have to be patient with students like that.” Kuroo advised him, gently guiding the steering wheel along the rain-streaked road. He flipped on his windshield wipers as the rain intensified. It was hard to tell, but the rain seemed to hold dirt or soot as it fell on his window, leaving behind dark streaks on the glass. “Ugh, this weather sucks.”

“Yeah,” Tsukishima agreed. “And your classes?”

“Oh, I only have one lecture on fridays, and I cancelled it today to give the little suckers a break.” Kuroo laughed. “They had an exam on Wednesday and I usually let them skip discussion on the following Friday to give them a breather.”

“How nice of you.” The blonde scoffed. “My classes can’t take breaks.”

“Maybe your students would be nicer if you gave ‘em a break everyone once in awhile,” Kuroo teased. “Positive reinforcement does wonders, especially with college students.”

Tsukishima grunted. “I don’t doubt it.”

They were nearing Kuroo’s apartment now. As they drove towards it, the traffic slowed. The rain was only worsening, growing more intense. Kuroo laughed, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry to have you out in such shitty conditions.”

“It’s ok,” Tsukishima nodded. “You can’t really control the weather. I’m glad to see you.”

The weight in Kuroo’s stomach lessened as he allowed himself to hope for just a moment. His calm was quickly replaced with confusion as they neared his apartment.

A large plume of smoke billowed above the complex, as it was surrounded by fire engines glittering red and white, the lights dancing in the heavy downpour.


	9. Little Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> double update  
> double update  
> doubleupdate  
> imsosorryaboutthecliffhanger which is why it is a double update

_Little faith, follow me_  
_I set a fire in a blackberry field_  
_Make us laugh, or nothing will_  
_I set a fire just to see what it kills_  
\- Little Faith, The National

 

A loud noise broke Tsukishima’s panic. He was gripping his seatbelt, his face tensed, his teeth gritted. The building before them, maybe two blocks down the street, was engulfed in flame internally. It was a burnt and black husk of a structure, obviously unihabitable. Somehow, it was the same building he had joked with Kuroo and his friends the night of Bokuto’s birthday, less than a week ago.

He realized that the noise was coming from Kuroo, who was currently screaming.

“WHAT THE FUCKKKKK” He cried, banging his steering wheel in frustration. “No way, no fucking way. This isn’t my life, right?” He turned to Tsukishima as he asked the latter question. Kei noticed tears forming at the edge of his eyes.

Kei took a deep breath, and moved his hand to cover Kuroo’s. He met Kuroo’s panicked gaze with his steady one. “Take a breath. A deep one. Come on, breathe with me.” Tsukishima inhaled slowly, waiting for Kuroo to follow his lead. Kuroo paused for a second, then began inhaling quickly, puffing out his cheeks with air. “Not like that, idiot! Slow breaths, like this,” Tsukishima demonstrated again, and Kuroo followed his lead this time, counting slowly as he took one shaky breath, then two.  

“Okay, let’s pull off of the road.” Tsukishima said, after Kuroo was breathing normally again. “We’re not getting there anytime soon. Honestly, it would be faster to walk at this point.”

“Right.” Kuroo grunted, his teeth gritted. Kei noticed that he looked extremely pale. Tsukishima wasn’t sure when they started holding hands tightly, but he gave Kuroo’s hand a reassuring squeeze to help set him at ease.

Kuroo pulled off of the main road, down a street until he found some parking meters. His hand left Tsukishima’s as he began to clumsily fumble in his pocket for change. Tsukishima gently placed a hand on his arm.

“Let me pay. You can go on ahead, if you want.” Kuroo met his gaze, looking vulnerable to say the least. “C’mon, it’s no big deal-”

“N-no, it’s not that.” Kuroo interrupted him, his voice meek. “I just- I’d like you to come with me. To the apartment. If that’s ok. I really don’t want to be alone right now.”

Tsukishima nodded. He offered his hand to Kuroo. The black haired man reached for it and they intertwined their fingers together. Tsukishima thought it was funny how warm Kuroo always was. He hoped his hands didn’t feel too cold. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Kuroo taking deep breaths slowly. The rain tapped on the windshield, filling the silence with a comforting ambience. After a few moments of calm, Kuroo sighed and met Tsukishima’s eyes. Understanding, he pulled his hand away, unbuckled his seatbelt, and left the car to pay for parking.

When he returned, Kuroo was standing by his car, holding a large black umbrella. Tsukishima smiled, remembering the last conversation they had under that umbrella. It felt bittersweet to recall that memory. He wondered just how many memories he and Kuroo had subtly made, as they became friends in this short time.

He ducked under the umbrella, and took the handle from Kuroo. “I can hold this, if you want to just walk.” Kuroo allowed him to take the handle and they began trudging in the pouring rain towards Kuroo’s apartment.

There was a small crowd gathered on the block before the building. It was full of residents, the injured, and curious spectators. There were three nearby ambulances, along with the five fire engines that surrounded the building. Tsukishima decided that parking and walking was the best course of action, and felt glad that he had recommended it.

As they neared, the chaos of the crowd, with its loud chatter of panicked voices overlapping in confusion and fear, made actually finding answers difficult.

It took a few minutes of asking around, but the pair found a very stressed looking man in a suit, continually running his fingers in his hair. He was the one they should ask, apparently. However, he was busy, yelling on the phone to some other stressed businessperson. After a while of waiting, he finally hung up and turned towards the crowd, a look of pure dread on his face.

“Um, excuse me.” Tsukishima said, catching his attention before he could walk away. He eyed Kuroo, as if to ask if this was ok. Kuroo just blinked at him, an indication he took as a yes. “Where are you housing the displaced residents?”

“We don’t have a place for them.” the man admitted, sounding deeply bitter. “This all was obviously a surprise - an electrical fire gone out of control. We don’t have another facility, and we can’t rent anything out tonight. The city mayor advised us to direct the displaced to a homeless shelter, but aside from that, there’s nothing we can do.”

“Seriously?” Kuroo piped up, his voice cracking a little. “Your fucking facility burns down, and the only thing you tell tenets is to go find a shelter?”

“This situation was outlined in your lease agreement.” The man said stiffly, glaring at Kuroo. “In case of extreme damage, we require that you have renter’s insurance. If the apartment complex becomes uninhabitable, we don’t have an alternative location to house tenets. It is what it is.” He ran his hand through his hair, obviously annoyed. “You’re no longer expected to finish your lease payments, so the best thing to do would be to get in touch with your insurance agency and start working out reimbursement. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have more important matters to handle.” The man turned away and stormed off, towards a group of people in business attires, who were also lacking umbrellas. Tsukishima thought it was a silly image, a group of red-faced people shouting amongst each other, rain-soaked suits and ties clinging to their skin.

“I’m homeless.” Kuroo quavered in disbelief, snapping Tsukishima from his train of thought and returning him to the reality.

“Kuroo-” Tsuki began, but he was cut off.

“What the fuck am I gonna do now?” He hissed to himself, holding his head in his hands.

“You could stay with me.” Tsukishima offered simply. He turned his head away from Kuroo as he spoke, trying to play off his embarrassment as aloofness. The man’s head shot up in surprise at the offer.  
“Are you sure?” He asked cautiously. “I couldn’t ask you to do that for me.”

“You’re not asking.” Tsukishima pointed out. “I’m offering. Now, do you want to head back to my place, or are we just going to stay in this rain all night?”  
  


* * *

 

  
“Yeah, he’s okay. He’s staying with me for now, until the insurance gets approved and he can find another place to live.” Tsukishima droned for the fourth time on the phone. He had taken the responsibility of returning the missed calls on Kuroo’s phone - from Bokuto, Akaashi, Kenma, and now Oikawa. He went through the same explanation each time, ensuring them that Kuroo was ok and would be taking some time off from work to figure things out. Though he despised talking to people for long periods of time, he was alright with doing it if it would help Kuroo. And Kuroo was in no state to field those kinds of phone calls.

He was wrapped up in a blanket on Tsukishima’s bed, clutching a mug of black tea as if his life depended on it. Every now and then, he would steal a quick sip.

He looked exhausted.

Tsukishima didn’t blame him. As he hung up the phone, he cautiously approached him.

“How are you doing?” He asked, taking a seat at the edge of the mattress.

“Absolutely awful.” Kuroo groaned. “I lost all of my papers that I was in the process of grading, all of the photos I had of my family and friends since high school, and my games!” He groaned in despair as he continued. “My gaming PC, my WiiU, my Playstation 4!”

“I’m sorry,” Tsukishima said softly. “It really was an awful bit of luck.”

“Yeah,” Kuroo huffed. His eyes wandered around the room for a moment before landing on Kei’s laundry bin. “Is that my t-shirt?”

“Huh?” Kei turned to where he was pointing. The t-shirt on top of the pile was indeed the old band t-shirt from the first night they spent together. It was emblazoned with an album cover from The National. Tsukishima had been meaning to give it back to Kuroo, but he really liked the band, and also the way the shirt fit. Though he had borrowed it for a while, it still had Kuroo’s faint scent on it. Would he admit that he wore it to bed most nights because of that? No.

“Yeah, it is. Sorry, I never got it back to you.”

“If you had, it would be destroyed right now.” Kuroo chuckled mirthlessly.

“That's true." Tsuki agreed.  " I held on to it because I like The National.” He admitted sheepishly. He was about to continue when Kuroo jumped up, seemingly in a panic.

“Kei!” He shouted, then turned red, probably because that was the first time he had called him by his first name. Before Kei could comment on it, Kuroo continued. “It’s your birthday!”

“Yeah, pretty shitty birthday if I’m being honest.” Kei muttered.

“Probably because you haven’t received your gifts yet!” Kuroo said cockily, a sudden energy about him. He still wore the blanket around his shoulders like a cape. The image of him standing there, hands on his hips, with a blanket cape and a smirk made Tsukishima really happy. Happy enough to let himself laugh. It wasn’t a light laugh, either. It was a deep, hearty laugh. He clutched his sides and rolled onto the bed, snickering the whole time.

“Uh, Tsuki? You okay?” Kuroo asked, his previous bravado abandoned.

He continued to laugh for another minute before he found it in him to answer. “Y-yeah, hah, yeah, I’m fine.” He sat back up, wiping tears from his eyes. “I just can’t believe you were able to look that goofy after everything that happened today.”

“Wow, ok you think this is goofy? Now that I’m your roommate, we’re gonna have to redefine that word for you.” Kuroo cackled. “Anyways, let me go grab your presents. Today is not over yet, and I need to make you feel happy at least a little bit, since it’s your birthday.”

Kuroo quickly returned quickly, holding a green striped gift bag and a white box. He set the box gently on the table and held the bag out to Tsukishima. “Open this first.”

“What if I want to open the box first?” Tsuki didn’t actually care either way, he just wanted to be difficult.

Kuroo sighed, “I mean, it’s honestly up to you-”

Tsukishima quickly took the green bag out of his hands and walked to the couch with it. “C’mon then.”

“Ughh, you’re like a child!” Kuroo groaned, following him. Tsukishima just laughed.

He smiled at the first object he pulled out of the bag - a soft, green scarf. Then he realized that it was in the shape of an elongated stegosaurus. He looped it around his neck and turned to Kuroo. “Thanks.”

“You still got another thing in there, bud” Kuroo said, gesturing to the bag.

Tsukishima pulled out more tissue paper and was met with a white record. He picked it up and examined it, realizing it was “Trouble Will Find Me” by The National. He quirked his eyebrow.

“How did you know that I like the National?” he asked suspiciously.

“You paused on those albums when you looked through my records the other day.” Kuroo explained. “I noticed, and so I thought you might appreciate it as a gift. ‘Trouble Will Find Me’ is my favorite album by them. Also, that’s from my own, deceased collection. So I hope you like it.”

“I can’t take this.” Tsukishima shook his head, pushing the record away. Kuroo caught his hand.

“Please, keep it. I’m getting new records anyway. I want you to have this one.” Tsukishima recognized that he was being sincere. He just nodded.

They settled in a comfortable silence for a bit, Tsukishima observing the record while Kuroo sat beside him contentedly.  Tsuki stood up from the couch and strode over to his own record player, having decided to play the gift from Kuroo.  The mellow strums of "I should live in salt" filled the room, as Tsukishima returned to sit beside Kuroo.  He pursed his lips, as he considered how to say what he wanted to say.  

“Uh, Kuroo..” He began slowly, setting the record case down, leaning it on the ground by his couch.  Kuroo focused his attention on him. “If you, uh, want to call me Kei, you can.” He didn’t meet Kuroo’s eyes, but he could tell that he was surprised.

“You’re sure?” Kuroo asked incredulously. “Because earlier was an accident, you know I didn’t mean-”

“If you want to call me Kei, you can.” Tsukishima said firmly. “Just not all the time. But since we’re going to live together for a little while, and I…” he dropped off, losing some of his confidence. “I trust you. It’s fine. Just don’t call me it all the time.”

“O-okay!” Kuroo squawked, obviously a little flustered. “Well, then you can call me Tetsurou, if you ever want to.”

“Fine.” Tsukishima nodded. He considered deepening the conversation further, explaining why he trusted Kuroo now. Why he was okay with him using his first name. He thought about telling him what he planned to tell him tonight - that he had deep feelings for him. Feelings that were getting harder and harder to repress. It was only going to worsen, now that they were going to share Tsukishima’s small apartment. But he couldn’t take back that offer. And he couldn’t confess tonight. No, Kuroo...Tetsurou had been through enough today. He didn’t need anymore emotional bombs. Especially if those feelings weren’t returned...Tsukishima couldn’t risk it. He stood up from the coach and headed to his room.

“I’m going to get you some pajamas. I’ll take the couch tonight and you can have my bed. We’ll swap each night, if that’s okay with you.”

“Sounds good!” Kuroo chirped from the couch.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! If you like it, leaving a comment or kudos (or both) would be awesome! Thank you so much for reading.
> 
> I'm going to try to update weekly on sunday!
> 
> Also here is my [tumblr](http://virdanrains.tumblr.com) and my [haikyuu!! sideblog](http://kurootsukis.tumblr.com)


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